Christmas Wishes

I hope that everyone had a lovely holiday period. We were without power for the whole of Christmas eve but luckily it came back on in the early hours of Christmas day. My thoughts go out to all those who are still without power or affected by the floods in the UK.

I will back into blogging more regularly soon but due to the festive period I have been pretty busy visiting family etc - real life takes priority at the moment.

Thank you to anyone that is reading this or who has been a reader of my blog in the past year. I haven't been the most consistent but really appreciate anyone who takes the time to read my rambles and post comments. Thank you!

Festive Finds #3: Christmas Party Dresses (Under £35!)

I might be a bit late on the band wagon here but its that time of year, and if you haven't had one already then you may have a Christmas party coming up. I know how hard it can be to find the right dress for that occasion so to help out a little I have found 8 dresses all under £35 - hopefully it helps!

Christmas Party Dresses by frankiemay featuring a lace cocktail dress

1. Mela Gold Lace Scoop Back Dress - £26 - New Look  // 2. Black Draped Dress - £12.99 - H&M // 3. Blue Velvet Skater Dress - £32 - Miss Selfridge // 4. Wrap Skirt Dress - £32 - Wall G at Topshop // 5. Floral Sleeves Bodycon Dress - £32 - Annie Greenabelle at Topshop // 6. Dark Red Cap Sleeve Waffle Tunic Dress - £19.99 - New Look // 7. Draped Print Top Dress - £19.99 - H&M // 8. Gold Sequin Sleeveless Bodycon Dress - £24.99 - New Look

I don't have a party to go to this year but I may just treat myself to a nice dress anyway...

Deal of the day

 

Jasmine and White Frangipani candle £5 with code // Vitamin E Body Butter £7.50 with code // Camomile Cleansing Oil £5 with code

50% of everything at The Body Shop!

I had to share this deal with you as its so good!
The Body Shop always have a lot of great discount events but I think this is one of the best I have seen.
To get 50% of everything and free delivery over £5 use code 19809
What a great time to pick up a Christmas gift or just to treat yourself…
It ends  tonight (9/12) at midnight.

This week

Hope everyone's had a good week.

It has been a bit of a strange one for me. Lots happening personally which has meant I have actually had more time for blogging, however lots of things to get my head around so I haven’t always felt like it.

Anyway, I thought I would share some things from around the internet that I have been liking this week.

Sadly, Nelson Mandela passed away at the age of 95. This article shares some of his best quotes. Such an inspirational man.

I may have just bought some new boots but I love these ones from Forever 21.

These piglets

Maybe you will be trying out one of these weird beauty treatements?

This necklace is very simple but interesting, I like.

Potato print penguin Christmas cards?! Sounds like something I'm going to have to try,

And finally....


via Tania Joy on Flickr

Festive finds #2: Christmas Candles

Christmas Candles by frankiemay featuring glass jars

1. Lily-Flame Snow Fall Candle // 2. John Lewis Winter Berry Candle // 3. Space NK Shimmering Spice Candle // 4. Lily-Flame Christmas Spice Candle // 5. Muji Log Fire Candle // 6. Patisserie de Bain Winter Wonderland Candle

Sorry for the overload of Christmas related posts recently but I reckon, even if you aren't in the Christmas spirit, a scented candle always goes down well. I'm not into overly sweet Christmas scents, I prefer the more spicy/woody ones. The green Muji candle aboves smells of a log fire and is absolutely amazing - basically a cheaper version of the Feu de Bois Candle by Diptique - the Muji version is only £3.50!

What are your favourite candles for this time of year? I'm always after some recommendations.

Friday favourites: Winter lipsticks

Now, I'm of the opinion that you can wear whatever shade of lipstick you want at whatever time of year. I do, however, still have some lip products that I just love to wear over the wintertime. You may notice that they are all predictably red and berry shades, these colours just mean winter and Christmas to me (and to a lot of other people I imagine...). No major shocks just a few lip related items I think are fab.

Black and Gold: Barry M Gold Mine

I had to share this nail polish with you as it's so different from any other polish I've got (or seen available).

It's a sheer black nail polish base filled with gold glitter. It doesn't look much in the bottle but after applying two coats to the nails it takes on a sort of 3D effect. The gold glitter in the first layer gets muted by the black polish so there becomes two different shades of gold glitter - it's hard to explain (and photograph!) but hopefully you get the idea. For £2.99 I think it's a complete bargain and a perfect polish for the festive season. 

Budget Gifts for Christmas: £5 or less!

I wanted to put together some gift ideas for people who may be on a tight budget for whatever reason. I think I managed to find some really great things, if I do say so myself, that are all £5 or under.

Clockwise from top-left: Vintage Ivy Design Mug, Dove Gift Set, Anatomicals face mask set, Happy 
Jackson bag, Home sweet home sign, Alphabet soy candle.

Clockwise from top-left: Nivea Men minis, Vintage playing cards in tin, Gentlemans Spectacles Case, ASOS cardholder, Grey Socks with stripe, Moustache bottle opener key ring

Hope these gave you some ideas - it's amazing what bargains you can find when you look! There will definitely be some more gift guides making their way onto this blog so keep an eye out for those. I'm also trying to be a bit more crafty this year and make my own gifts - will report back on how that goes!

Festive finds #1: Christmas Jumpers

What a better way to get in the Christmas spirit (not that I need much help with this...) than treating yourself to a super cheesy super cosy Christmas jumper.

Cheesy Christmas Jumpers by frankiemay

1.Caitlyn Snowman Jumper - Boohoo// 2.Cheeky Reindeer Christmas Jumper - Boohoo// 3. Christmas Rockin' Robin Sweater - Peacocks// 4. Textured Reindeer Sweatshirt - George at Asda (this seemed to go out of stock as soon as I put this together but you can find an alternative here) // 5.Snowman Musical Christmas Sweatshirt - Tesco//6. Black Sequin Christmas Tree Sweater - Newlook

As well as being super cute, they are all under £20.

Go on, you know you want to.

Fashion Friday: Flares - Yay or Nay?

Is anyone else just a little bored of skinny jeans? Or is it just me? Lately I have been thinking about different styles and flares have been springing to mind. Maybe I am feeling nostalgic (I remember some huge ones I had when I was going through my "hippy"stage) but I think they can look really chic and also pretty flattering. If you follow me on Pinterest you may have noticed me pinning a lot of very stylish looking girls with flared jeans, this is what I essentially aim for, of course, I am very aware that I will look nowhere near this cool (but I can dream right?).

Stripy tops and flares = magic combo

This does not mean that my skinny jeans are gonna be thrown out - I'm still a big fan and they will be what I wear for the majority of the time. However, I'm definitely going to keep my eyes peeled for the perfect pair of flared jeans.

What do you think of flares? Yay or nay?

*all images from pinterest. last one from swankboutique blog

Autumn Picks: Coats under £100

It has taken me a while, but I am no longer in denial about the summer being well and truly over. I'm now embracing the colder months ahead (I wont be by the time we get to January) and looking forward to big jumpers and cosy layers.

I'd thought I would start of the Autumnal posts (a little late) with my favourite picks of coats under £100. I've tried to pick out a few different styles and colours.

Autumn Coats by frankiemay

1.Check Lined Duffel Coat - Oasis || 2. Reefer Jacket - H&M || 3.Sheepskin Lined Parka - Zara || 4. Dogtooth Coat - M&S || 5. Faux Fur Collar Coat - Warehouse || 6. Double Breasted Coat - Zara

I think the best bargain is the Reefer jacket from H&M but I can't resist a bit of fur trim!

Revlon Kiss Me Coral

Now, some may argue that coral is not a very autumnal lipstick shade, but I'm not sure who makes those rules anyway and I say wear whatever colour lipstick you fancy! Revlon Kiss me Coral is a lot more on the orange side of coral than the pink. It's a cream formulation so highly pigmented and slightly glossy. I love it! I like to wear this lipstick either with an orange toned blush or just a bit of bronzer. Personally, I think these colours of lipstick suit my skin tone quite well but would look great on someone a bit more tanned than me as well.

Revlon Kiss Me Coral normally retails at £7.99 but I got mine reduced to £5.99!

I'm keen to try a few more Revlon lipsticks - any recommendations?

Leisure

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

Leisure by William Henry Davies

Lots of things happening at the moment, moving house, very busy at work, coming to the end of my job contract...I like this poem because its nice to remember to stop and stare sometimes. 

Also just wanted to share some pictures I took recently and this fancy thing that google does to make them into a little animation. Pretty.

Tuesday's Tunes

Picture credit: free people http://web.stagram.com/n/freepeople/

I've been listening to some more music recently and just wanted to share some of the ones I have been loving. Its a bit of a mixed bag, like my music taste in general!

What music have you been enjoying recently? I'm keen to discover some new things!

May Beauty Favourites

This is the first favourites post I have done on this blog but I thought I have been loving a few things this month and thought it was a nice way to show things I may not have blogged about individually.

Heavy Metal

1. Rose Gold Tone Bracelet Watch/River Island 2. Gold Tone Bracelet Watch/River Island 3. Wraparound Boyfriend Watch/ASOS 4. Sekonda Women's Gold Round Dial Watch/ Debenhams

I may have blogged about watches before but I am really loving this bracelet style at the moment (although I don't even own a watch!...). Anyway this is my selection and I may just have to give in and make a sneaky purchase.

My £3 Lip Favourite: MUA Power Pout

These new lip products for MUA have been really floating my boat recently. Called Power Pout -a lot of brands are bringing out a similar thing to this - the  "stick" lipstick with a twist up mechanism. I have tried the Revlon ones and really like them, I know that Clinique did the original Chubby Stick and No7 have recently brought out their version.

I had to try these ones by MUA, mainly because they were such a bargain! They do them in a range of colours but I picked out a nude peachy looking one (Rendezvous) and a pink (Broken Hearted). The formula is fairly glossy and really easy to apply. They are fairly sheer but it can be built up and I found that after the gloss had faded the colour lasted pretty well. Lipsticks don't tend to last very well on me anyway but the pink definitely left a stain!

If you are looking for an easy everyday lip colour then I don't think you could go far wrong with these. Super easy and moisturising (what I look for in a lipstick).

You can buy these from Superdrug and the online for a bargainous £3!

Recently...

Just some things I've been up to recently - including quite a few food items! Some of this is from a couple of weeks ago when we had a lovely patch of sunny weather. My boyfriend and I had a picnic in a park in town and then walked around the city walls. It was such a nice day and so warm! I've also been a bit naughty shopping wise recently...a few purchases may be making an appearance on the blog soon. 

What have you all been up to recently? I'm hoping that the weather gets a bit better this weekend for the bank holiday!

Three Wishes: Skincare

3 wishes by frankiemay

These 3 skincare items have been on my wishlist for a while now. 

The Anitipodes Manuka Honey mask looks like it would be just the right balance of hydrating and cleansing and I have heard all good things about this natural skincare brand. The Clarins oil is a slightly more recent addition to the list - the blue orchid type sounds like the best for my skin - this isn't cheap but I do have some Boots points that I have been meaning to use for a long time. Finally, the Melvita Extraordinary water looks lovely - I know that Estée from Essiebutton rates this so it must be good! 

Have you tried any of these? What is on your skincare wishlist?

Smashbox Limitless Cream Eyeshadow in Amethyst

Now firstly, I'll admit I didn't pay full price for this Smashbox Cream Eyeshadow in Amethyst  I got it at my local outlet store for around £10. I thought this colour was a bit different and not like anything else I had. It's a very unusual colour that I found really hard to pick up on camera! In some photos it looked quite brown and in some it looked bright purple! I think you can see in the swatch below the multi-tonal nature of this shadow and how it changes colour in the light. 

No 7 Eye Contour Brush

My find of the week is this No 7 Eye Contour Brush. Ok, it's not really a find - it's widely available in boots. It is basically a fluffy brush for blending - it's really soft and I have heard it compared to the Mac 217 (which I don't actually own). The main thing however is that it is £7.25 and with a £3 No 7 voucher only £4.25 (which is what I paid for it). For that price I am tempted to go back and buy a couple more! I have used it a few times now and it works really well at blending and also at applying a wash of colour to the eyes.

I'm not sure how it will hold up in the long run and how much fall out there will be from the bristles, however for the price I don't think there can be many complaints.

Have you tried this great little brush? Did you like it as much as me?

You can buy this in Boots stores and online here.

Frankie

Mac Russian Red Lipstick

Russian Red is actually my first lipstick purchase from Mac!. It's such a classic colour, a deep matte red. It makes me feel very glamorous and sophisticated - which I assure you I'm not. The formulation is creamy and it's one of the first matte lipsticks I've tried that isn't too drying. I would recommend using this with a lipliner but I haven't currently got one that is the perfect colour.

This is an amazing lipstick and perfect for a special event (it would look fab with a little black dress) or day-to-day if you like a bright lip. I'm now excited to try some more colours (I've got my eye on Plumfull...)

Transition to Spring

Okay, so maybe I'm being hopeful but it's the time of year when soon the weather should be turning warmer. I've picked out some items I think will be great for that transition period of slightly (I'm not going too crazy - we are in England after all) warmer days and cooler nights.

Transition to Spring by frankiemay featuring forever 21

Basically a lot of light sweaters, long skirts and lighter, brighter colours. Note the sunglasses and the umbrella - you never know what the weather's going to do!

I'm looking forward to spring a lot. I'm a bit fed up with the grey and cold at the moment - need some sunshine in my life!

What are you looking forward to about spring? (or autumn if you're in the opposite hemisphere)

Wish: Above Knuckle Rings

 2 Delicate Wire Wrapped Rings by Marci Elizabeth at Etsy

Gold Chevron Knuckle Rings by FunnyPeopleCo at Etsy

Gold Spiral Knuckle Ring by MoonliDesigns at Etsy

Now, I know I'm a bit behind on this "trend" but seeing this photos on ebay made me really lust over those above knuckle type rings. Maybe it's just because I wish I had hands and nails like that? Either way, they look so dainty and pretty and would go with a lot of outfits - dressy or casual. They have definitely been firmly added to my wishlist (which is growing by the day...).

Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Mauve it Over

I'm not normally a nude lipstick kind of girl but when these Revlon Lipsticks were on offer for £5 I chose this colour to try (I'm a sucker for an offer!). Mauve it over is a nude browny-pink and, as I was going to discover, very very close to my natural lip colour.

Wish List: Jewellery

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

Can you tell I'm loving gold jewellery at the moment?

Love this simple gold necklace from Forever21 and it's only £3.90! This heart chain thumb ring from River Island is perfect for valentine's day and another bargain! Warehouse have some lovely jewellery and this gold leaf necklace is really elegant and pretty :)

Think I will treat myself to some new jewellery soon

Any jewellery you have been lusting after recently?

Wish: Urban Outfitters Curio Shelf

Loving this cute shelf from Urban Outfitters! Just hangs by one hook so easy to put up in our rented flat. 

Fits in nicely with valentine's day coming up so may have to treat myself...

brighten up your winter

So it's still winter in the UK. It's the time of year when the months start to drag, it feels like it's been cold forever and all you long for is a bit of sun! Now, I don't mind the cold as much but I am definitely fed up with the grey dull days.

On that note, today's post is all about bright and happy winter clothing - so you can keep warm and feel like it's summer all at once. Who says you can only wear bright colours in summer?

1/2/3/4

Just realized 3 of these are from Mango..they obviously have a good jumper selection.


What bright colours do you like to wear at this time of year?

Review: Loreal Volume Million Lashes Excess Mascara

Today's face #1

I went for pretty minimal make up today. I do usually wear slightly heavier eye make up but I wanted a change and I think this eyeshadow by Vivo from Tesco is a pretty colour. I'm still not sure how I feel about the Wake Me Up foundation by Rimmel. Some days I really like it and I do find myself wearing it a lot because it applies really easily. On the other hand I'm not entirely sure about the colour match and it can look a bit sparkly in bright light! The concealer, however, is lovely and a really nice brightening formula for under the eyes. I used my trusty Mac Eyebrow Pencil in Spiked and have gone back to my Loreal Telescopic mascara which gives great length. I finished it off with this Blush by Elf in the colour Glow, it's a really pretty pink/coral colour with gold shimmer so it doubles as a highlight. Finally I just went with this nude gloss by MUA on the lips

I'm loving...candles

I'm a little bit obsessed with candles and home fragrance at the moment and I'm always on the look out for something to make my home smell nice. In winter especially, when it gets dark and cold outside, it is great to be able to curl up with a book or watch TV with some lovely smelling candles burning in the background. I have found a few new things in the past couple of weeks that I wanted to share with you.

Firstly this Mimosa candle that I found in HomeSense for £4.99! It smells lovely and really fills the room as well which is great (bear in mind I have quite small rooms). It also burns very evenly and doesn't leave a big hole in the middle of the candle (which really annoys me). I think this was an absolute bargain and generally think HomeSense is a great place to find candles.

Next is this candle from Muji. I have been eyeing up these Muji candles for a while as they are super affordable at only £3.50. This one smells quite different to any other candle I have had in the past - as the name would suggest its a woody smell and is great for this time of year, especially if you aren't into really sweet winter scents. It says the burn time of this is 18 hours but I think it may last longer than this, as I have already burnt it for a good few hours and it has hardly gone down at all.

Lastly is my oil burner, which I don't actually burn oil in, but Yankee Candle Wax Tarts. I love this because I can pick and chose different smells and it really makes the whole house smell yummy. I bought ten wax tarts of my choice on Ebay for £9.99 and have been enjoying them all so far. At the moment I am burning a mixture of Warm Spice and Spiced Orange which make a great combo. I just break a bit of each tart off, put it in the oil dish, light a  candle below and when they melt together they create a lovely smell!

What candles or home fragrance are you loving at the moment? Any recommendations? Let me know in the comments.

lazy sunday

Back to work tomorrow after 2 weeks off for Christmas. I've had a pretty chilled day today and have been spending my evening so far browsing blogs and pinterest while listening to some relaxing music. I thought I would share some of my favourite "pins" and if you want you can view my boards here.

all images via pinterest.com

I know this is very picture heavy but sometimes I found it really relaxing just to browse through nice images so I hope you enjoy looking at my selection :)

Hope you all have a lovely week