Bought! Pre-Foundation Primer by Set NP

I'm quite the fan of diffusion lines, what isn't to love about a great brand name at a price more suited to my feeble budget? Set NP has been created by Napoleon Perdis to help introduce his range of make-up to a broader audience, and what's my favourte product? The Primer!

I thought it would be hard to improve upon the great primer in his original collection, Auto Pilot. Pre-Foundation Primer creates a smooth base that helps bind your make-up to your skin and helps it last longer. The best way to use it is to make sure that you let your moisturiser dry for a minute before you apply and let the primer dry for another minute before you smooth over your foundation. For added fusion you can also mix a tiny bot of it with your foundaion before application.

Another thing I love about this primer is the subtle pink shade helps to wake up dull skin, making you appear more wake then you might feel!

Pre-Foundation Primer by Set NP

Bought! Stretch Tack Stitch Chinos by Just Jeans

It fascinates me just how quickly my style can change from week to week. While through most of summer has been girly girly quirky, I'm now finding it's slid very quickly into chic, androgenic but still emphasising that I am indeed a woman! My work uniform is morphing from pencil skirts to tailored pants and skinny jeans. One of my favourite things that has come through recently are the beautiful colours of the season, lots of darker colours that can only be expected in winter, but the lovely jewel tones of Mustard, Deep red, and Jade green are almost impossible to miss in a variety of garments. Do try them out if you haven't already, they look awesome in winter with the lighter tones your skin gets from not being in the sun.
So of course what drew me to these jeans are their amazingly gorgeous hue! I saw it while walking past the store and had to have a closer look. These are the jeans I did my waistband trick with the other day because unfortunately they do fit me everywhere but the waist, after a few hours of wear they've stretched enough for me to do them up properly though. (incredibly handy trick to make more styles of jeans within reach!)
The cuffs are only done by hand and can be rolled back down, and they look amazing with little heeled ankle boots. True denim love.

Bought! Typo and Sportsgirl

So now I have brought my loot home it dawns on me that I didn't really bargain hunt, but as previous posts will tell you I have a soft spot for the odd, and love to fill my house with conversational pieces. Even my laundry.

How cute is this! It's not like the same old retro style laundry buckets that you see in all the fancy-pants home stores (hell, even Aldi has cottoned on with their own range out this week ...) The miniature washing washing design won me over, and you can quickly see how much powder is in there without needing to take off the lid. Perfect. (There is also a handle, but you can't really see it with my awesome photography efforts)

Secondly, I caved in and bought the glitter booties from Sportsgirl, no, not the imitation Miu Miu's but the black ankle boots with the little heel, it's love!

Perfect amount of heel to get about it all day without pain, they go with the mountain of black opaques I get about in in Winter, Work and play appropriate, (they're used to me and my strange outfits.) And they're covered in glitter!

Have you bought anything awesome in the mid season sales? What did you get?

Bought! Dotti Dress and Shirt

My birthday present to myself, on a bit of a budget unfortunately, but I still took myself out for a day of shopping, can't stop me from enjoying myself on that day of the year!
So I went for the cute mod dress in black and white, it also came in yellow but I'm not terribly fond of mustard as it doesn't work well with my skin tone. Great shape, and awesomely in right now. I plan on wearing it with pop bright tights and sweet flat shoes, and with a cute print cardi when the weather cools down for winter.

Madeline Peter Pan Dress by Dotti

I also felt the need to buy myself some burgundy for my wardrobe, for winter it is starting to run the risk of being the shade of the season, but the shape is a great staple that I know I'll have in my wardrobe for many years to come. It has a lovely sheen to the fabric as well, without being see through. I'm very over so many blouses being see through lately. I don't wear them outside of work, and I'm not comfortable wearing them to my office. I love sleeves I can roll up too, much more flattering them full sleeves. It looks great half tucked into jeans!

Chelsea Shirt by Dotti

Source: Dotti

Would you wear it? The novelty trend

Here we go kids, the trend of the season that makes me shake my head in wonder at how on earth do they expect the everyday girl to translate this into everyday wearable style? Novelty.
Firstly, what is novelty? Apparently it's what you get when you put Tavi Gevinson in charge of designing a collection, (or so I read) and it somehow trickles down into mass market. We're expected to start sporting sunglasses shaped like ice-cream cones with purses shaped like fruit ... No... really? No.
I remember baulking a few seasons ago at Prada's banana print shirts and skirts and hoping like hell it wouldn't take off, it didn't work. It's times like these I wonder if the fashion industry is having a giggle somewhere at the lengths we'll go to to be in fashion.
There are some cuter elements to it though, I have recently snapped up a sweater printed with little fox heads from Jay Jays, but don't really plan on wearing it about town too much, it's too cosy as a lounge about the house item. Possibly some kitschy earrings would go down well too? But I draw the line at all the smilie faces and neon colours. No one looks good in neon. No one looks good in something printed with fruits either.
So, from me that's a yes to Fox print sweaters:

And a rather loud and resounding NO to fruit anything.

(Lol, Watermelon skirt)

So what do you think of this trend? Do you think you could pull it off? What have you bought?

Sources: Jay Jays  & ASOS

Bought! Decadence envelope clutch by Mimco

So I had some loyalty vouchers lying around and there's a 25% off handbags sale going at Mimco at the moment, what does that equal? A sparkly new envelope clutch for $45, down from $179! Bargain of quite possibly the year at this stage. Mimco does have an epic rewards program so long as you act on the vouchers quickly as the voucher expire within about a month, and since mine were due to demise in a week, I took advantage of them as much as I could.
Envelope clutches are everywhere at the moment, and this gorgeous number is actually the first one I own, I realized I don't own any nice evening bags, I own many, many large day bags but hardly anything that would suit a date night. I've been watching a lot of early Sex and the City and picked up on Carries numerous and classic clutches and thought 'me too!'. The only thing I don't like about this bag is the name... the word 'decadent' really irks me ...
Looks fantastic with my little black dress!

Bought! Cushions by Pulp Kitchen

So I may have a soft spot for novelty cushions, but why not? Not only do they make your couch cozy but they're great to throw at my friend's kids when they come over and find I have no toys! (child free homes tend not to, but a three year old doesn't seem to understand that...)
That aside I actually bought the Valium cushion for the boyfriend. When he's in pain for some unknown reason *coughhangovercough* he'll usually want to sleep it off on the couch and just complain that he's not hungover, just tired. So here hun! Take the Valium and have a sleep*!
The Toast cushion was for me, and I'm hoping it doesn't make me hungry every time I see it! But how could I say no to that face?? These cushions are seriously comfy too, and for those that want a breakfast theme I also spotted a pancake stack!
These cushions would also look cute as sitting on your bed, and even the kitties have taken to snuggling up to them ... provided we stop rolling the Valium cushion along the floor at them.

Has anyone else shopped with Pulp kitchen before? What did you get?

*Ha, just to cover myself, Birdette doesn't recommend taking Valium unless it's been prescribed by your doctor!

Bought! ASOS haul

It's not so often that I spend a few hundred bucks on an online order and find every item I've bought to be amazing and perfect, but this was one of those times. I took some risks on what I was buying, a shift dress, on this frame, (size 12-14 with boobs, butt and a tiny waist)? I'm so so so chuffed with how amazing it looks!
I think the trick to finding a shift that will suit a curvier and bigger shape is to find one with appropriate darts. If you pick up a dress and the only darts it features are the onse on the sides of the bust, put it back, you need something that has darts that travel up the front of the garment somehow too. it is also imperative that you choose the size of your largest er, asset. For me, my bust is 12, and my hip is 14. BUY THE 14!

I also picked up a jewellery box that I've mentioned in a previous gift guide I posted last year, had to get one for myself. perfect for brooches and rings.

Oof, this next item is heeeeeavy! I didn't realize it had quite so much beaded fringing to it, so I'll have to take extra special care of it, it moves beautifully. A nice moody piece that'll take out at night.

All items featured available from ASOS.com

What bargains have you guys found in the sales? Tell me about them in the comments!

Bought! Stornas Table by Ikea

Yes, I have been bitten by the Ikea nesting bug much to my Fight Club loving boyfriend's disappointment. But at least I now have a solid timber dining table that I have wanted for months! The kitties approve of it too. I'm currently typing with Mischa curled up on a bundle of fabric next to me and since it has been assembled I can frequently find either one or the other sleeping atop it.

Sleepy Cat is Sleepy.

What drew me to this table was the idea that it is extendible, the smaller length fits nicely against the vast empty wall in my kitchen, but when I have more then one couple over I could fit 6+ people at it, (The + is more for high-chairs, I don't think I could really get more then six adults here). The solid pine wood is heavy and durable, a veneer just wouldn't cut it, with this finish I can strip it, paint it, stain it, whatever my heart desires over the years, and you wont get that nasty peel back that you get with veneers after some mishandling.
Being from Ikea, I had little luck finding a second hand table from markets, eBay and stores that suited my budget and tastes. With four matching Kaustby chairs the total came to still under $500.

Bought! DIY Pillow by Sportsgirl

Make your own embroidered cushion by Sportsgirl x Beci Orpin

Beci Orpin put together some cute stuff for the Sportsgirl Gift ideas table this year and this kit was part of that.This was probably my bargain of the day from Boxing day, their price started off at $29.95, but in the sales I picked two of them up for $6.65 each! I wasn't going to pay full price for them before Christmas but I had to stop myself a few times in fear they would sell out. Basically it's an 'embroider your own pillowcase' kit, Kind of nana-ish I know but didn't you know that DIY is awesome? I've been sitting on the couch while my boy plays video games for the last few nights trying not to stab myself in my fingers. But it's looking good so far. The kit comes with everything you need with needles, embroidery thread in a range of colours and the cushion insert (fun to lug around on boxing day!) but I'm going to go one step further and insert zips into my covers

The Project in process, I picked up the embroidery loop from Lincraft for a couple of bucks and recommend anyone with this kit do the same.

Bought! Bambi playsuit from Peter Alexander

Ha, I'm so glad I managed to track down and buy this gorgeous piece of sleepwear before they all sold out. I've been trying mega hard not to buy anything just for me so I can afford to buy my Christmas presents.
The fabric feels absolutely gorgeous, a blend between 30% silk and 70% cotton. so it feels quite slinky with none of the retained heat you get from synthetic satin. The print is so cute, watery coloured images of Bambi, thumper and the forest (Did I mention Bambi is one of my favourite Disney motifs?) and the lacy detail around the top just finished it off nicely.
I didn't even wrap it and put it on the tree. Had to wear it now!

Bambi play-suit by Peter Alexander

Bought! Cupcake memo pad from Dotti

Does anyone else go Christmas shopping and wind up buying for themselves as well? I'm guilty of it but I try to do it on a more 'one for me, one for who I'm shopping for' basis, but this was just too cute! I had to buy one, it was taunting me! But I know a friend who would love it just as much, So under the tree it goes.

Cupcake memo pad from Dotti

Bought! Chimera underwear set by Pleasure State

I adore upmarket lingerie labels, La Perla, Agent Provocateur, The names make me smile and make me dream of a life where I can afford to wear them everyday. But this isn't the case and as such I wait until they go on sale, after all, lingerie doesn't have much of a fashion cycle, so long as it's flattering who cares if it's from a collection three years ago?

So I keep an eye out for times when labels like Elle Macpherson and Pleasure State go on sale, if you jump in early enough you can still get a great range of sizes still available and have a high chance of getting a full matching set at a great price.

Last week I bought this amazing Chimera set at Myer, totally in love with it, bra, two pairs of knickers and suspenders. The fact it's Australian just makes it better.

Bought! Eyeshadow by Maybelline and Sportsgirl Epaulettes

Just a few of the items I picked up while out shopping yesterday. I as supposed to be having an eye out for Christmas ideas but that idea quickly went down the toilet as I went along my way.
Myer was good, picked up two new summer suits by Tokito, as well as some new tops and a maxi skirt, but I'll leave those for another post.
I've been after a nude eye-shadow set to replace my utterly dead one for a while now, and Target is currently having 40% off Maybelline. What better time then to pick up one of their new Hyper Diamonds Palette? So I picked it up in ____. Three yummy tones to wear during the day, and two darker colours to dress up at night.

I also picked up another item for my slightly surreal wardrobe. When I spotted these a few months ago I thought they were awesome but wouldn't quite pay full price for them, so I watched the price drop a they were that little bit too abstract for a lot of shoppers. Oh well, their loss is my gain!
They are Epaulettes that you pin to the shoulders of a plain top to add interest. I really wish that these had come out a few years ago when the shoulder detail trend was massive, I ended up making my own to attach to a plain blazer in the end but these would've been perfect! I'm going to attach them to loose singlets and t-shirts over the coming summer and I think they'd be awesome for a festival.

Epaulettes by Sportsgirl

Bought! Wink at me Frock by Alannah Hill

I adore finding those amazing dresses that make your figure absolutely sing. The beauty of a wrap dress is that it falls perfectly, suits a range of figures and will grow and shrink with you if you gain or lose a few.
Alannah Hill have some fantastic sale racks at the moment and I managed to pick this up for a little over $150. Yes $150 for a brand new Alannah Hill perfect dress, I thought I was dreaming! I just slip on some cute shoes that don't clash and wear a feminine hairstyle and I'm out the door.

Wink at me Frock by Alannah Hill

Source: Polyvore

Bought! Dylan Shoes by Mimco

Mimco don't just do bags! This was something I learnt earlier this year, and yes I still think that too many girls are walking around with their button bags for me too want to buy one. so I've gone for the shoes today!
After umming and ahhing over them while I had my hair done today I ended up walking back to the store and buying them as my 'congrats on your pseudo work promotion this week!' gift to myself. Partially because work is where I shall wear them the most. I love a good pair of sandals and hope these will last me more then a few years! The heel isn't really a heel but still gives me a little bit of elevation while being comfy enough to run between desks and floors for 8 hours. The hardware is silver and I am very fond of the mirror heel too!
The ladies at the store were also lovely enough to point out that I should cover the mirror up while I spray any waterproofing spray on them. good tip!

Dylan Midi Heel Sandal by Mimco.

Bought! T2 Turkish Ice tea blends.

I fell in love with home brewed ice tea last summer and have dug out my ice tea jug for the coming warmer months. So today I bought the proper Turkish apple and Turkish Cherry Blends, they smell divine and I can't wait to taste them, I have the Cherry cooling in my fridge as I type.
T2 is also a great place to go and buy Christmas presents, if you have an idea about the tea that someone you love drinks, go and buy them some special blends, the staff are very kind and helpful and you can also grab the brochure that goes through all of the types.

 

T2 Turkish Apple and Turkish Cherry Iced teas

Bought! Hat stand from Earthborn

EEEE! I have been after one of these for a while now, and had the idea stuck in my head that I ought to wait and hunt down a vintage one. Well that idea never panned out. Every time I went to the vintage shops and markets, they were always sold near immediately. Sitting still at their stalls, taunting me with their 'SOLD' stickers ...
So I decided stuff it, and picked up one from a home wares store at Carindale.
I'm glad I did finally bite the bullet, as unless you find one trawling through garage sales you aren't going to find it much cheaper then new in store. Comes in Red and black also I think.

Hat Stand available from Earthborn.

Leg Make Up, Flawless Legs by Le Tan

I picked this up the other day admittedly because it was the cheaper option. But who has never used that justification before? The good news is it doesn't disappoint.
Flawless Legs by Le Tan has been a great buy for me, it as lasted all day and hasn't transferred onto my black skirt, and given my pale as snow legs a great colour with subtle shimmer. In fact I had to get up close to see any sparkle at all, making it perfect for everyone who isn't a teenager!
It comes in two colours, and I was a little apprehensive about giving even the paler shade a try as it just seemed too dark, but it has been quite a lovely colour all day without being orange at all.
The best technique to use to apply the product is to give the can a good shake, the spray onto your palms before rubbing your hands together and then rubbing onto your legs (or other exposed body parts, don't let the word legs in the name fool you!)
Would I buy it again? You betcha!

Le Tan Flawless Legs in Deep Bronze and Bronze

Bought! Typo Haul

Christmas is less then two months away, confronting much? This year has utterly flown by like so many of them do and we're already gearing up for a great holiday period.
Hey... I know I may be early in some peoples eyes but at least my decorations didn't go up at the start of September *coughDavidJonescough*.
So I've been off to stalk my favourite gift shop, Typo, and picked up a few early presents, but also check out these cute as ornaments I got for my tree!

Also bought these little gift tags, I never seem to have any when I want some.

So now if everyone could just tell me what they want for Christmas without actually telling me, I'd love you.