Haaaappy New Year!!

Well, ladies and gentleman, 2011 is over. I wasn't the biggest fan of 2011 (being unemployed for most of it pretty much sucked) but some good things did happen. I wanted to do a 'Highlights of 2011' post, but I guess I ran out of time for that so onward and upward with 2012!

For Hogmanay, my boyfriend Scott and I went out for a romantic meal and then to a lovely area of Glasgow called Merchant City to bring in the bells. It was so good, we've not had a huge amount of time together recently because we've been busy, so it was nice just to be the two of us!

I had a major self-confidence meltdown on the train in. I was too busy making cocktails and ran out of time to get ready, so I didn't have time to fake tan and curled my still damp hair in about three minutes before running out the door. I also made the mistake of messing about with my new make up brushes without actually knowing what I was doing, so I look like I have no make up on in most pictures. UGLY.

My biggest disaster was my eyelashes (yes, I'm that girl). I needed to wear them (check out my false eyelash addiction HERE) but because my trusty ebay glue ran out so I had to go to Boots today to buy a wee replacement. This was not a good idea. I bought some Ardell lashes as I couldn't get glue by itself, put them on in the train and spent the rest of the night nearly crying about how awful they looked (not shallow at all).

Ghost-like me, with no real sign of make up, half curled hair, and eyelashes that are taking over my face. Ugh.

But, the drunker I got, the happier I got. Do I have a problem?? Here's some more pics from our night:

The dress! =p

Scott and I (Scott's dad took the photo - hence the blurriness =p)

The only decent pic of my nails! It's one of the Models Own glitter ones I got for Christmas, will defo be doing a proper post on them cause I looove them.

I hope you all had a lovely NYE as well! I'm very unsure about the year ahead as I have no idea what direction my life is going right now. I do have a few resolutions:

1. Lose weight/tone up
2. Stop biting my nails!!
3. Keep blogging at least twice a week
4. Make a decision on what I'm going to do with my life!!

The last one is a biggie, but people keep telling me it's exciting not to have everything planned. I hope I make some good choices this year. ^_^

Oh! I also just want to say a big thank you to Emma Louise from Fallen Angel to Yummy Mummy. I am rubbish with blog awards, quite a few people had awarded me one now but I always forget to then pass it on! It makes my day that people like my blog enough to award me. However, Emma Louise created her own blog award (rather than Versatile Blogger etc) and it really meant so much to me! She wrote a little paragraph about each of her favourite blogs, and I was over the moon with what she said about mine. I didn't even know she was following my blog, so this was a huge boost to my self esteem! Thank yooou!! <3

Anyways, if you've done a NYE post let me know cause I love to see all the pretty clothes! Thanks guys for helping me pick this dress to wear, it was perfect! Do you have any New Year's Resolutions or are you giving it a miss this year?

Let me know!

~ Lauren ♥

Christmas: Could I Be More Lucky??

Hope you all had an amaaaazing Christmas!! ^_^

I wasn't sure if I wanted to do a post showing my Christmas pressies, cause I always feel I'm unbelievably spoiled and some people might think I'm showing off, I don't know...

I get really, REALLY excited about Christmas. We always do the same thing (mostly) and it's just my mum, dad, sister and I for most of the day before my boyfriend comes up at night. We visit my grandparents on Boxing Day.

I still get up early, have a stocking, am not allowed downstairs until I'm given permission and we open presents one at a time so we can all see and appreciate each gift! Christmas dinner this year was steaks, and then games all night! I just LOVE it.

As a family, we got a 3D TV for the living room! Not really tried it properly yet, but we have Harry Potter DVDs coming in 3D so looking forward to it. We have 7 3D glasses so we can all have our own colour lol. Here's the TV and my mum and dad modelling their glasses:

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Hahha.

I also got a ton of cat related gifts (my friends and family know me so well!). Here's a pic of some general presents I got (on the left) and my kitty themed presents (right)!

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Some things to mention: gorgeous jumper and cat print dress, cat egg cup and cosy, book on beauty blogging (!), Sims 3 Pets (that'll be me busy from now til next Christmas =p).

You may also have noticed my beeeeaaaauuuutiful Claireabella!

This is hand made by Claire herself, and the batch I ordered this from (on behalf of my bf obv) sold out in ten seconds!! I'm very lucky. Designed it all myself - do you see the wine, phone and kitty?? Love it!

You may also have noticed my brand new camera! My old camera was only a 7.2mp and this one is 14.1 so I'm very excited!! It's so pretty and pink too. <3

For some reason I didn't put my new knee high boots in, but here's a sort-of pic:

They look really high actually, but they're not cause it's a built in platform. They're really comfy! At least that's what I'm telling people. =p

Here's some of the beauty goodies I got:

I needed new straighteners, but GHDs are so expensive. Well, here's a fact for you. If you search in Amazon for straighteners and sort them by highest customer review first, number one is Babyliss Pro 230 Elegance and number two is GHD! So after a lot of research, I asked for the Babyliss ones and they are AWESOME.

As you can see, I got Soap and Glory goodies, Front Cover stuff, travel hair straighteners, etc! The Models Own ones were a total sursprise, sooo nice, and I was counting down the days til Christmas so I could get my Sigma Complete Set.

Here's me playing about with some of the Models Own colours:

I also got a lot of other gorgeous things, like a Swarovski necklace, cute underwear and jammies, and chocolates and wine! I also got a 'voucher' for a cut, colour and my next set of extensions put in. Sooo lucky!!

I had an awesome day, with lots of laughter, fun, great food and alcohol! Here's me making a Kir Royale(or is it an Imperial Royale?)

Hope you all had as awesome a day as I did! I'm sorry if this post was too much, please let me know cause I'm worried in case I come across badly. =/

What did you all get? What was your favourite present? Did you get Christmas money, and what are you buying with it?

Let me know.

~ Lauren ♥

Spread Christmas Cheer - Volunteer!

Just a little quickie today because I'm busy busy busy for Christmas!

Firstly, THANK you for getting me to over 200 followers! So happy to have managed that in ten weeks, you guys are AWESOME.

But the real reason of my post is to remind you guys how lucky we all are. We all blog about the latest beauty products and the 'must have' fashion item and see something on someone's blog and HAVE to buy it... Sometimes it's good just to stop and remember that not everyone is that lucky.

Sorry for being so serious, but please consider dropping your change into a charity can, or signing up to a charity. Some of these charities are as little as a pound a week! Seriously, that's nothing. Even better - volunteer! I know times are hard just now and a lot of people are out of work, USE this time! It not only helps others, it helps yourself as well as it's such an amazing feeling to be making a difference.

I volunteer at an animal shelter, and it gives me seeerious endorphins! I love it. I try to go twice a week, and my job is a 'kitty cuddler'. Here's some of the cats I have the privilage of spending time with:

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And here's a little video of the cutest cats ever, Stuart and Charlie (please ignore my 'baby' voice!!).

On a less serious note, I hope you're all looking forward to Christmas and spending time with friends and family! I'm sooo excited! Here's my tree:

And here's my festive nails!

(they look really messy here but are actually really cute... even on my pathetic wee nails!!)

And here's some photos from my trip to the Edinburgh Market:

Mulled wine, ferris wheel, chocolate covered strawberries

Cocktails and cider!

Have an amaaaazing Christmas guys!!

Merry Christmas!

~ Lauren ♥

I Picked a Dress! (Christmas Night Out)

Hi guys! Just a quick HI! to my new followers and I am super excited to be nearly at 200 followers. I'd love to be there by the end of the year, so if you enjoy reading my blog please recommend me, I'd hugely appreciate it. ^_^

So I had an amazing response to my dress dilemma post, where I couldn't decide which dress to keep for my Christmas night out. The overwhelming consensus was either number 1 or 4...

So I decided to keep both! I'm saving the sequin one for Hoggers (NYE for all you non-Scottish folk). But today I thought I'd share some of my photos from my Christmas Night Out!

I also have some exciting news (not really). Those of you who follow me on Twitter will already know this, but I have gone to the DARK SIDE! Yes, I am no longer platinum blonde. If you glance up to the right, you will see the hair colour I usually have - preeeetty blonde. I've always been blonde, ever since I was a little tot...

I know, what a photo!! Don't have a huge selection of little me on my comp tho so that will have to do. =p

My sister is like a chameleon of hair colour, she has naturally dark hair but has been everything from white blonde to black over the years...

... And it's made me a bit jealous! So last year I tried dying my hair brown.

... It didn't last long, an soon I was back to platinum blonde!

But this time I was determined to go a bit darker properly and went to my hair extensionist so she could colour it and match my extensions at the same time. I asked for golden blonde, like Blake's...

... this photo (that I took quickly for Twitter!) doesn't really show the golden tones very well. The following pictures show it better.

But anyways! I have a really close group of friends I met at uni, we go out every year and this year we went to Ashton Lane in Glasgow West End. It's a beautiful little pedestrian-only cobbled lane filled with pubs and restaurants.

(source)

It's a lovely place to go for a night out. Here's me in THE OUTFIT.

I added a cute little belt from Primark and my amaaaazing shoes from ASOS. Clearly I forgot to clean my camera as well. =p

Close up of my hair - what do you think? I actually really like it now!

Me and my best friends. ^_^

I had a great night, it's so lovely to catch up with friends, and I love the festive season for all the excuses to dress up! Hope you guys are enjoying it so far.

So did I end up picking the right dress? It was actually totally down to you guys cause I wouldn't have kept this one otherwise!! And what do you think of my new hair?? Do I suit it?

Let me know!!

~ Lauren ♥



Help!! What dress do I choose??

I need your help guys. I am looking for a Christmas party dress (Isn't everyone right now?) but my budget isn't fantastic. I ordered some dresses from ASOS and I obv can't afford to keep them all, so I need your help in deciding what one I keep! I also found a dress in New Look, so that's been added to the choices.

I know I look a mess in these, but it's the dresses we're concentrating on!
Also, please try and ignore my mahoosive thighs.

You can click on the photos to make them bigger (if you're brave enough)!!

Please let me know in the comments below which dress gets your vote!

Your help is muchos appreciated! I also bought a pair of shoes which I LOVE. The dress doesn't have to go with these shoes, I will find a way to wear them over the Christmas period! I figure they go with pretty much everything anyways. =p

Hooow beautiful are these?? They're also so much glitteryier (yes, that is a word. =p) in real life.

What do you think? What dress should I keep? Any of them?

~ Lauren ♥

Secret Santa Shopping Guide!!

Holidays are coming, holidays are coming.... I'm feeling a bit Christmassy!!

I know a lot of people do Secret Santas (my friends and I do) so I thought I'd be the super nice person I am and give you some ideas if you're struggling! I'm also doing this because I'm trying to cut down on shopping for myself just now, for two main reasons:

a) I am skinto. To the extreme.
b) I always feel bad buying myself things near Christmas. What if someone has bought me that? And shouldn't I be spending my money on other people??

So, I am creating a mini gift guide for £10 and £20 budgets! As you can see, I've been a wee bit relaxed with prices (eg something for £10.20 I've put under the £10 section) and obviously some items could have fit under different 'friend' categories, so just have a little look and enjoy (you can click on the pictures to make them bigger!)!
All prices are correct as of November 23rd 2011, and do not include P&P costs.

Got £10 to spend?

The 'Find me a Naked dupe and I'll love you forever' Beauty Friend:

Lush Secret Santa Set (also in green) £10

MUA Heaven & Earth Palette Superdrug £4

Models Own Beetlejuice Set ASOS £10

Andrea Fulerton For Your Nails Only Superdrug £9.99

Benefit Tan About Town ASOS £9

The 'I can't live without my Wii/Mac/multi-flavour coffee machine' Gadget Friend:

MP3 Speakers Debenhams £10.50

Tripod keyring Firebox £5

iPad Sticker Cover Firebox £9.99

My Fitness Coach: Dance Workout Play.com £8.99

Heated Eyelash Curlers Boots £10.20

The 'I'm saving the world one paper bag at a time!' Nature-Loving Friend:

Vet on Call Waterstones £5.59

Feed a Family OXFAM £7

Body Shop Coconut Gift Set £7

Frozen Planet Book Amazon £11

Panda Hat River Island £7.00

The 'Pink & Sparkly & Fluffy make me happy!' Girlie Friend:

Sparkly Belt ASOS £6

Style Me Vintage: Make Up Guide Urban Outfitters £9.99

Loveheart Candles Firebox £6

Twilight Triple Pack Play.com £8.99

Lush Blooming Beautiful Gift Set £7.25

The 'Just buy me whatever. Or don't buy me anything. Whatever.' Awkward Friend:

Hangover Kit Topshop £8

Head massager Firebox £6

Digital Photoframe Amazon £8.01

Soap & Glory You Cube Set Boots £10

Hand Warmer Firebox £5

Got £20 to spend?

The 'Find me a Naked dupe and I'll love you forever' Beauty Friend:

Box Bag New Look £15.99

Pampering Voucher BuyaGift £19

FrontCover Packing Case Boots £18.00

Lipsy Fragrance Set Boots £20

Juicy Tube Set Debenhams £18

The 'I can't live without my Wii/Mac/multi-flavour coffee machine' Gadget Friend:

Wine Cooler Firebox £14.99

Smoothie Maker Argos £15.99

Sims 3 PC Game Overstock.com £19.15

Nicky Clark Heated Curlers Boots £19.99

Faux Croc Laptop Case ASOS £20

The 'I'm saving the world one paper bag at a time!' Nature-Loving Friend:

I Am Not a Nugget PETA T-Shirt CafePress £13.50

I Am Not a Paper Cup Firebox £11.99

Caravan Birdhouse Firebox £14.99

Burt's Bees Essential Body Kit Boots £12.99

Wildlife Snuggle Pad RSPCA £15

The 'Pink & Sparkly & Fluffy make me happy!' Girlie Friend:

Skater Dress New Look £19.99

Cupcake Kit Firebox £12.99

Lace Tights Topshop £12

Disney Couture 'Princess' Necklace £15

Cat Slippers Topshop £14

The 'Just buy me whatever. Or don't buy me anything. Whatever.' Awkward Friend:

Clinique 3-Step Introduction Kit Debenhams £20

Home Cinema Popcorn Pack Firebox £12.99

Chocolate Making Kit Firebox £15.99

Now That's What I Call Music 80 Play.com £10.99

Star Bracelet Topshop £20

Hope this gift guide gave you some gift ideas! For OTHER PEOPLE, not for yourself. I know people get confused; at least I do. =p

Thinking of purchasing anything? Let me know!!

~ Lauren ♥

Uh ohhhhh..! The catalogue of temptation has arrived!

Ok, so I'm unemployed. I have basically no money and no expectation of money coming in. But because I've been used to having a full time wage, my little brain struggles to wrap itself round this concept and keeps persuading me to buy things!! So I'm really gonna try hard to keep my spending under control. And I thought I could probably manage ok, until my mum handed me the Catalogue of Tempation this morning...

And even more importantly...

Yup, the 3 for 2 sale is on with Christmas stock in and I am officially screwed.

However, after the first few pages of delights on every page, I realised that I actually am more sensible than I give myself credit for, and out of all the wonderful goodies on offer, I managed to whittle down my wish list to just a few (right now).

Marc Jacobs Daisy, simply because I love this perfume and I think this is a really good price for 75ml! I still have about a quarter bottle left currently tho, so I might be able to hold off and ask for this for Christmas, tee hee.

My heart actually skipped a little beat when I saw this Frontcover set. I got a Frontcover 'book' last Christmas and I loved the colours and quality, so I'm a fan of this brand already, but a nail design set?! Heaven. I love messing about with my nails, creating deisgns, using bright colours, getting minx or shellac done, so this looks like a LOT of fun for me.

Now this presented a problem for me - I love Too Faced and I love smoky eyes... but I also love pinks and purples because they make my eyes greener. So I don't know which set to go for?? They both look amazing. Decisions, decisions.

The only part of the Catalogue of Temptation which disappointed me was the Soap & Glory section, there wasn't much to it and the gift sets just didn't ecxite me. Hopefully the new make up collection will!

Well, I don't think I did too bad considering what I was faced with. I might buy myself one of the above, and save the rest for Christmas time! We'll see!

~ Lauren ♥