I love cheeky discounts. . . recent purchases

This has definitely been a successful week for shopping...and bargains, and I thought I would show you some of things I have picked up :)

I recently sold some clothes on ebay and as usual I spent the paypal money online...I call it 'recycling'. Anyone else do this? Not only do I get to clear out my wardrobe but it's the perfect way to treat myself to something I wouldn't normally buy.

I'd had my eye on the new House of Harlow collection on ASOS for a while now - I'm definitely a big fan, though the prices mean it's somewhat out of reach for me! However I recently signed up to become a Premier customer and received a £20 discount when I spent £50...so I decided to treat myself to this gorgeous gold plated key necklace.



It's pretty short and rests just above my collarbone and looks lovely on it's own or teamed with a few other necklaces of different lengths - a la Nicole Richie herself. What do you think? I've also got my eye on the oversized horseshoe pendant, but that will take some more saving :)

The next two items I picked up in Warehouse, and one of them may look a little familiar! One of my friends works in Warehouse and is lucky enough to get 40% off, so when we took a trip to Oxford Circus last weekend I couldn't resist picking up a couple of new season 'essentials' at a bargain price.

First off is this aviator jacket (which you'll find a few posts down).


Now I've tried on a few leather aviators but they haven't quite looked right - however this one is much softer and more suited to my style. I'm clearly not 'cool' enough for the leather! It's super snuggly and warm so I'm hoping the nights are cool enough for me to wear this soon :)

The second piece I picked up is another nod to one of the trends I picked out a while back - leopard!


I have a bit of a leopard fetish and I love the sixties inspired shape of this knitted dress - really flattering and cosy at the same time.

Continuing my love of leopard I'm contemplating the purchase of a leopard print faux fur coat - what are your opinions ladies? Yes or no? I've been considering buying one for years now so I may just have to take the plunge!

Anyway, enough about me - what have you picked up recently? Any real bargains out there to be had? Let me know :)

NOTD

LOVE this colour! I was considering picking up Essie's Splash of Grenadine when I heard of a high street dupe. It's a difficult colour to describe (and photograph) but I'd say it is a bright candy grape.

Sadly it's not around for long as it is the limited edition Barry M nail varnish for Boots...so get yourselves down there sharpish :)

Review - Xen-Tan Perfect Bronze

So this is a very belated review of something I received a long time ago...sorry! You may remember at the end of June Xen-Tan were holding daily competitions on their facebook page and I was lucky enough to be one of the 3 winners on the first day, where a bronzer was on offer.

I have to admit I was a little sceptical of this bronzer as I've previously used Fake Bake's version which usually ended up as a bit of a sparkly mess - would another fake tan company be able to produce something better?

So I was relieved to see a much less glittery affair, and a pretty natural colour, even for my pale skin.

Xen-Tan vs Nars


I'd previously been using Nars Laguna so was keen to see how this compared. Whilst Laguna comes out quite pigmented, the Xen-Tan is much more sheer. As I am so fair it took me a while to get the knack of applying Laguna without looking too bronzed, whereas this is much easier to build up and produces a much more subtle tanned effect. This might be frustrating for those of you with darker toned skin, but I think it's ideal for anyone who wants a subtle buildable glow without looking tangoed.


Xen-Tan Perfect Bronze - right, Nars Laguna - left

All in all, this has taken pride of place in my make up bag and I will probably be pretty upset when it runs out - which brings me to the only bad point - the price! At £20.95 this is not a bargain buy but personally, if like me, you are a bronzer lover this is well worth splashing out.