Another Alexa Copycat

Well hello there! Long time no blogging! I think the most coveted bag in recent months has been the Mulberry Alexa bag. Unfortunately, I do not have the money, nor the time and patience to save up for one. I have a real Balenciaga First Bag which I'm terrified to take out as I don't want to ruin it. Buying a real Mulberry and doing the same to the Mulberry seems like a waste to me (personally). So when I saw the best dupe for a Mulberry Alexa I've seen for a while in a recent trip to TkMaxx. I had to snap it up!! The RRP price of the bag was noted as £56 and I managed to get this for a cool £24.99. The brand is Marina Galanti if anyone is interested in trying to find another on the interwebs. I'm not sure if the material is leather but it does feel decent, not the best of course, but very decent. It has kept it's shape quite well and is the PERFECT size.

Here it is!



I added the scarf myself. I like to do this with a lot of my bags. I suppose it's a bit like a bag charm that can be taken off and used as a hood if it starts raining (at least that's how I look at it!).

If I ever see the same bag in brown/tan I'd be soo happy to pick up another one of these!

What do you think? Are you a fan of the Alexa style bags? Would you fork out on a real one?

Bryden x

Xposted to http://treblesandamixer.blogspot.com/

A side project

My housemate and I have decided to set up blog together. We don’t really want the blog to have a set theme, but it will generally include beauty, fashion, local events and general rambling. We can be found here. This new blog will not replace this one and I will continue to blog here aswell.

Hope you enjoy,

Bryden

Band of Geordies

Let's Buy Happiness


Left to right: James Hall, James King, Sarah Hall, Mark Brown and Graeme Martin. (Photo taken from the band's facebook. Photography by Simon Daniel Smith)

The band I am about to talk may be one of the best things to come out of Newcastle Upon Tyne in recent times (Move over Ant n Dec!). Not only is the band fronted by my best friend, Sarah but their music is only what I can describe as SPOT ON. The first time I heard Sarah perform a song I burst out crying (such a wimp!). Was all too much! That song was was an older version of their song Devil Show. The song has been rearranged now and is better than ever!

The band itself is a lovely mix of art and melodies. Their flyers, posters, music artwork, and t-shirt designs are all drawn by Sarah. Hours of work goes into these drawings and they are absolutely brilliant. Nothing in this band is created half-arsed. They were the band to open the John Peel stage at Glastonbury 2010 and I was lucky enough to go along with the band and had the most amazing time I have ever had at a festival (Thanks Sarah!). Their single 'Six Wolves' was released on October 18th on their own label Ghost Arc Records and are currently working on their album which will be released in 2011.

Here's a few links. Check them out and let me know what you think:

Six Wolves


Clean Mistake Acoustic (My current fave)


Fast Fast (another fave of mine)


Devil Show (live at Maida Vale for BBC Introducing)


Their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/letsbuyhappinessuk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Lets-Buy-Happiness/128399670820

Would love to hear what you think.

Bryden x

Skins?! MTV US?

http://skins.tv/video/#/skins-extended-trailer

No words can describe exactly how I feel about this re-make.

Thanks for ruining ANOTHER great british tv programme!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Snow in Newcastle

Its been snowing in Newcastle for the last 4 days. This was me and my housemate, Claire, out in Newcastle last thursday. It's actually reaaallly nice going out in the snow. There's no-one about! Going to the pubs and clubs when its empty is just soo nice. No more waiting at the bar for 30 mins at a time!!

Me and claire soaking up the err, snow?


Newcastle's Christmas tree. If you look really closely you can see Claire.


Ever since the snow has fallen I have been out the house and loving every moment of it. I love being able to get around and do things without there being too many people! I the only think I dislike is the public transport. Stagecoach - Whatever the weather? I DON'T THINK SO.

x

Life pics - 19-11-2010

My life in pictures 19-11-2010.


New bag.


Packing the bag for uni!


Dress code - Captain Birdseye!


Salt stained Red Ugg things. Not Ugg brand. Emu ridge if I remember correctly!


Pick up my dissertation ethics form and hand it in!


Quick trip to the Charity Shops. Good Haul! Will blog about what I bought :)


Buy a giant subway!


Eat subway whilst catching up on my youtube video subscriptions


Matching blazers with my housemate, James.


Meet claire after work with James for some drinks. Claire doesn't want her photo taken!

x

Updated What I am using.

I done one of these ages ago and I noticed that this is REALLY out of date. I don't even have some of these products anymore! I figured I'd also mark out my current faves too!

Here's an updated What I am using:

Shampoo: Tresemme Naturals

Conditioner: Tresemme Naturals

Hair Treatment: Paul Bryan Moisture Treatment and Paul Bryan Protein Treatment (still relying on these massively. Lovely product!)

Styling products: Tigi S Factor Dream Drops, Tigi S Factor Papaya Leave In Moisture Spray, Got2b Guardian Angel Heat Protection Spray

Shower Gel: Nivea Lemongrass and Oil Shower Gel

Body moisturiser: At the moment I'm using up my Britney Spears Curious Body Lotion but after this I'll be using a Hello Kitty shimmer lotion I got from Poundland!

Deodorant: Mitchem

Fake Tan: I prefer to stay pale

Cleanser: Proactiv and L'oreal Perfect Clean for Sensitive Skin.

Toner: Proactiv

Moisturiser: Proactiv repairing treatment, Aldi Lacura shimmering day cream, Aldi Aqua Mineral cream

Exfoliator: An exfoliating glove

Primer: GOSH

Foundation brush: None at the moment. Have been applying with my fingers.

Concealer: MAC Studio Sculp in NW20

Powder: Maybellline Dream Matte Powder in 01 Nude Rose (Not my fave)

Blusher: Maybelline Pure Blush Mineral in 40 Quartz Peach and MAC Bite Of An Apple Blush

Bronzer: None

Highlighter: Topshop Highlighter Powder in Sunbeam (FAVE!) and MEMEME Beat The Blues No2 Moonbeam

Eyeshadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance (FAVE!)

Eyeshadows: NYX Shadow in Vanilla, ELF Mineral Eyeshadow in Socialite and Collection 2000 Dazzle Me in 14 Lusterous

Eyeliner: Illamasqua Precision Liner in Abyss(Black)(FAVE!)and a Dior pencil liner in black

Curler: Shu Uemura

Mascara: Rimmel Lash Accelerator in Black and Mary Kay Signature Mascara 'Lash Lengthening' in Black

Lipstick: MAC Sinister Lipstick (FAVE!)

Lipgloss: EOS Summer Fruit's lipbalm (FAVE!) and not much else!

Nail Colour: Loving the Barry M nail effect polish layered under Essies Baby's breath, Topshop polish in Hopscotch and Revlon One Perfect Coral.

Babyliss Big Hair Styler

Hello Guys!

Before buying a product, I always like to search for reviews and testimonials. YouTube is my first port of call and I am very surprised to find that there are VERY few reviews on YouTube for this product. After buying and trying this product I really can't understand why this is the case. This product is my new love and obsession.

THE BABYLISS BIG HAIR STYLER!! <3

I would describe the Babyliss Big Hair styler simply as a rotating ceramic brush which is also a hair dryer. It doesn't sound all that special from that description but wait until you see it in action. It's basically having an easy blow dry at home!

As I am too scared to create a video myself. Here it is in action:


I purchased this for £44.99 from Argos and in my opinion this is worth every penny! I love how easy it is to use. There are 2 heat settings and also an option of cool air to 'seal the style' after using a hotter setting. The brush rotates 2 ways so it's easy to flick out or shape the hair. Volume is created by letting the hair wrap itself up until near the scalp, stopping the product from rotating, and leaving the hot air to create the volume. After around 30 seconds you can let the styler out. This can be seen in the above video. Shape is created by holding the styler nearer the ends of the hair using the rotating brush to choose if you want a flicked under or out style.

When I first had a go of using the product I was SO scared that I would get my hair tangled around the brush. I did this when I was little with a round brush and my mam ended up having to cut my hair out of it!! On the first go there were NO TANGLES! (phew!) and I found that if I did 'snag' my hair slightly (No hair was broken) it was very easy just to stop the styler from rotating and pull the brush through my hair with ease. Alternatively I could use the other rotating setting to push the hair back out.

I am absolutely IN LOVE with this. When I use this It's like I have stepped right out of the hairdressers.

The result!



I've been having a good look at the other Babyliss products which are out at the moment and I am thinking about shedding some cash on the Babyliss Root Boost. This is a tiny tiny crimper which you use directly at the root to create even more volume! I might add this to my Christmas wish list!

Have you tried one of these?

Bryden x

Barry M Instant Effects!

Hi there! Long time no blogging!

There's a lot of buzz around the new Barry M Instant Effects nail paint and I had to pick up myself a bottle. Thankfully, I managed to get the two for £5 offer at Superdrug and got my housemate a bottle as well.

I'm sure most of you will know what this nail paint is about but if you don't here's the low down - This is a paint which claims (and delivers!) and instant nail effect which I could describe as the bottom of a river bed once it has dried up (if that makes any sense at all!!). You apply it over your normal nail varnish once dried in one coat (don't overlap!) and the effect appears in around 30 seconds. From what I gather there is an OPI varnish which would do this if anyone from the US is interested in trying something very similar to the Barry M.

I did some research before applying and from what I gathered, the thinner the coat, the thinner the lines will appear when you apply the paint. I also found out that if you apply this whilst your nails are still wet from your base coat you will get shrinkage of the polish leaving parts of you nail exposed.

So! I set work and I applied a couple of coats of Essie's Baby's Breath and let it dry completely. After this I applied the effects nail paint. I topped this off with Seche Vite top coat for a glossy look as the effects polish itself is matte. Which I do like! It gives the nails more texture.

Here are my results:


Please ignore my granny hands and bad lighting!! I took this picture at night.

Overall thoughts: LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE! I can't wait to try it out with other colours and patterns such as stripes underneath. I hope Barry M manages to develop more colours in this product. I'd love to see a white colour in this. I'm planning on applying this on halloween over my Illamasqua glitter varnish in Harsh which is a SUPER PACKED silver glitter polish.

Have you tried this yet? What do you think of it?

Bryden x

Review : Model Co - Lashcara

I picked up this product at my local Tj Hughes not knowing much about the product at all. It's only selling point was that I managed to get it for £5 (the RRP is £13 http://www.hqhair.com/make-up/modelco/lashscara) and I had heard good things about the brand. This was a few months ago now and when I finished my L'Oreal Voluminous I broke open the mascara and to my horror I was faced with this:



WHERE WAS THE BRUSH!? I have never ever bought a mascara like this before and to be honest if I knew what was lurking inside the horrendous bright pink tube then I wouldn't have bothered buying it. Right, Well I'll admit this now, I was wrong and this mascara is bloody brilliant! I've been using it for a few weeks now and I was soo happy with it's results.

Here's a quick snap of one coat of Lashcara:



It volumises and lengthens lashes and the results remind me of when I was using my Lilash and my eyelashes were really long and thick. I have stopped using Lilash for about 3 months so my natural eyelashes aren't looking too hot at the moment.

One thing I don't like about this product is the packaging. There's nothing much to it and it's very cheap looking. For the RRP of £13 I would expect a higher standard of packaging. Even if the packaging was plain black with the silver writing it would look considerably better (I bet this would be cheaper to manufacture aswell!)

Is this value for money though? At a RRP of £13 I don't know if I would actually pay that much for a mascara on a regular basis. I would definitely pay £5 for it and I would probably pay a maximum of £8.50 on a regular basis. At it's current price of £13 I would only buy this every now and again.

Do I want to buy it again? Yes I do. I think it's a great product. Despite the look of it, It's really easy to apply and thickens your lashes instantly. I'd prefer to buy it from Tj Hughes for the discounted price of £5 but if I can't get my hands on it there then I'd invest in another tube as a treat.

Bryden x

RAVE RAVE RAVE: Maybelline Liner Express

I have tried loads of liquid eyeliners in attempt to find THE perfect one. I have tried a benefit one, Rimmel glam eyes and exaggerate. I also had a brief fling with some gel eyeliners. I have tried MAC, Sleek, Pixi, Kate and Urban Decay Ink for Eyes.

The thing is... I had already found THE perfect eyeliner. When I was younger I had been using Maybelline Liner Express and totally forgot all about this product until a few months ago when I found the old container in my drawer. I quickly bought a new one and what can I say... This stuff is amazing. The brush is more of a felt pen style and is very thin and easy to use. From what I have seen from Lancome Artliner I can say that the 'brushes' are very similar, however I have not tried this product so I cannot do an in depth comparison. This product however is a much cheaper option. The colour pay off is very good and I've never had to go over a line twice.



If you haven't tried this eyeliner and you're looking out for a new one, give this a try. I don't think I'm ever going to use another!

Bryden x

What I am using:

I haven't done one of these before and when I saw this on Suzi's blog @ http://suzit86.blogspot.com/ I had to have a go myself. I'm currently trying to use up as many products as I can as I am trying to down size my collection.

So! Here we are:

Shampoo: Aussie Luscious Long

Conditioner: Aussie Luscious Long

Styling products: Bed Head Serum

Shower Gel: Nivea Waterlily and Oil Shower Gel

Body moisturiser: Victorias Secret Guilded Ginger Creme

Deodorant: Mitchem

Fake Tan: I prefer to stay pale

Cleanser: Lush Baby Face and Clinique Mild Facial Wash

Exfoliator: MAC Volcanic Ash but I do hate it. I prefer Cliniques exfoliator.

Primer: GOSH

Foundation brush: ELF Studio Flat Top Powder Brush

Concealer: Tesco Barbara Daly in Light

Powder: MAC Studio Fix NW15

Blusher: Prestige Mineral Blush in Pink (Can't make out the exact shade)

Bronzer: None

Highlighter: Tesco Barbara Daly Soft Focus

Eyeshadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eyeshadows: NYX Shadow in Vanilla, A Dior Palette

Eyeliner: MAC Blacktrack, Sleek Gel Liner in Black

Curler: Shu Uemura

Mascara: L'Oreal Voluminous

Lipstick: Rimmel Nude Delight

Lipgloss: A cheapie True Gold Liquid Liquid in a pale pink shade.

Nail Colour: OPI for Sephora Metro Chic and China Glaze Victoria with Essie Matte about it

Sorry and lost Pink Fish :[

Hi, Sorry I haven't posted any updates for ages. I've had a lot of work to do for university.

I've made a new years resolution that I will post more often and to encourage myself to do so I also have bought a new camera!

One thing that is a little annoying is that I lost my MAC Hello Kitty Pink Fish TLC and I can't find a replacement anywhere. At one time there were loads on ebay and now they're no where to be found. I'll have to be patient and keep an eye out for one. I really miss it!

Take care everyone and I'll get some posts up asap!

Bryden xx

Haul :]

I went into town yesterday to pick up some things I needed from boots (boring things like cotton pads and faces wipes) but I also picked up a few things as I was walking around.



Boots have an offer at the moment for Soap and Glory. If you spend £12 you get a Scrub of your life body scrub for free. It's described as 'the ultimate super-smoothing body butter' and after one use and I can say I love it already. I much prefer it to the Flake away scrub which I find can leave not only me, but my bath oily! To get this product free I bought the Soap and Glory Eau de toilette 'Formula 2'. I am sooo glad Soap and Glory have bought out this fragrance. It has the same smell as their products and it is LOVELY. It is described as having top notes of citrus, bergamot, mandarin, jasmine and freesia on a mix of musks, sandalwood, vanilla and amber. I have no idea what this means as I am rubbish and fragrance smells but I can confirm the smell is lovely. If you like fragrances like Britney spears fantasy and Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb then you will most probably like this!

I also picked up some Botanics Face super balm as my skin is suffering from the drastic change of weather. It's soo cold at the moment. I have used this a couple of times after buying it and soo far soo good.

I also caved into buying the L'oreal Lash renewal serum. To be honest I don't have much faith in this product as I have and currently use Enormous Lash to keep my eye lashes long. It seems weird to me that you have to apply this product to the whole of the lash rather than the roots. I will have a go at this product in hoping it will keep my actual lashes in good condition and I will carry on using the Enornmous lash.

The last thing I picked up was the Lee Stafford Matt Fat powder. First of all... For £8.99 I would have expected a lot more product in the container! The container is half full. I checked the others and they were all like this. I haven't tried this as of yet so I can't comment on the performance. I'll keep you updated!

Bryden xx

Natural Skincare!

When I went up to Fife in Scotland a few weeks ago I found a little shop in a village called Aberdour. The shop was called 'Mystique Moments' and they sold all kinds of 'witchy' type things like aura sprays, stones, candles and herbs. They also had their own all natural skin care line called 'Green Witch'. I picked up a few products including their light cleansing cream, moisturiser (two types - oily skin and all skin types), 'Morgaines Fountain of Youth - Lip and Eye formula', witch hazel toner and a rose water toner. I did buy the lemon and lime lip balm but it seems to be lost.



All the products apart from the toners and the lip and eye treatment are beeswax based. The cleansing cream is very effective at removing eye make up and is very very creamy. It does leave a slight residue once tissued off but I find that happens a lot when I try to tissue off a cleanser so I normally rinse with water after. The moisturiser is based on a mixture of beeswax, almond oil and coconut oil and then depending on the moisturiser you purchase certain essential oils will be added to that. For example the moisturiser for all skin types contains lavender water, french lavender essential oil and chamomile essential oil - smells wonderful!. The consistancy of the moisturiser is very daunting at first as I am used to using a cream or a lotion and these are more of an oil once applied to the skin. I haven't used the lip and eye treatment enough to comment on its performance but I can describe the product for you. It is an oil based formula which is rolled around the eye and lip area to delay the signs of wrinkles. The ingredients are not listed as they are a secret blend.

Regarding the toners - They are pretty overpriced for what you get and I expect that you're paying for the glass bottle. However, I am enjoying using these. I use the rose water when my skin needs more moisture and the witch hazel when I feel my skin needs a deeper clean.

I would reccommend this skin care line to anyone. I have noticed a lot less breakouts and skin seems to be more of an even tone. You will have to have an open mind about the moisturiser as it is rather oil like. I have noticed that the moisturiser for oily skin is less like oil and would feel more comfortable to wear on oily skin. The toners are fantastic but at £4.00 for the witch hazel and £5.00 for the rose water I am going to look elseware for cheaper alternatives. I can then store the cheaper version and top my glass bottles up when needed.

If anyone is interested in these products they are available online here: http://www.greenwitch.co.uk/cms/

Bryden x

FOTD - Smokin'!

Hello everyone!

I'm going out for a meal tonight for my Dad's birthday tonight. I wanted to do a smokey grey eye as I'll be wearing a black dress. I kept the lips simple and only used MAC's pink fish lip conditioner.

This is what I ended up with :



For my eyes I used the beautyUK pallette in number 4 using the lightest beigey shade, the lightest grey and the black. I lined my waterline using a Rimmel Khol pencil in white. For my mascara I used the Maybelline Pulse Perfection. I'm quite impressed with this product but I'm not liking how far up the 'on' button is on the handle.

For my face I used Rimmels Lasting Finish foundation in Ivory with Perfekt transparent primer underneath (fantastic product!). I used MAC's well dressed blush on the cheeks along with a light dusting of MAC's mineralize blush in Style Demon. For my setting powder I used Duwop's Mattillume in lighter. I recently just purchased this and I love it. It's very comparable to MAC's Minerlize Skin Finish natural. Duwop's Mattillume also contains two shades - a lighter one for the whole face and a slighter darker more bronzey shade. I used both of the shades swirled together on the whole face and it gives a lovely finish.

Apologies for the bad photo! I'm having to use my blackberry for photos at the moment.

Bryden xx

GOSH Darling Dupe

I recently bought MAC's Close to real lipstick from the High Def collection. As soon as I got it I knew it reminded me of something but I couldn't put my finger on it. This was until I went to go find my Gosh Darling lipstick for a night out and realised that this colour is extremely similar to MAC's Close to real lipstick!

I do realise that a lot of the UK bloggers and youtubers have Gosh Darling but as far as I am aware you are unable to get this brand in the US. If any US people are after this shade then the MAC shade is worth a try.

I will say that the MAC lipstick is more pigmented than the Gosh Darling. Gosh Darling is also a little smoother to apply.

Here is a picture of the lipsticks alongside one another:



I hope this has helped someone!

Bryden x

A Review - Bliss Softening Socks and Salve.

Hi everyone!

Sorry I've been away for a while. We have recently switched internet at the flat and I wasn't able to get online as much as I could.

I'd like to give you some feedback on the Bliss Softening Socks and Salve I started using a while ago. These socks have really made a difference to my feet. They look better and they feel better. I used them at night while I was sleeping. I did find myself waking up in the middle of the night in pain from them 'gripping' around my toes. This happened almost every other night. I can only assume that this may have been because I have reallllly small feet (size 3 1/2)so the socks may have been swamping my feet. The salve itself was very nice and I did not find it overly greasy. I have used this salve without the socks when I couldn't bear the thought of waking up in the middle of the night again! I will be repurchasing the salve once I run out. In my opinion I think the socks will work without the salve and would work with another foot cream if you weren't able to buy both.

Overall, I would really recommend these. Eventhough they did 'grip' and squish my toes as the results were very good. I am now thinking about getting some of the Softening Gloves for the winter.

Bryden xx

Arty stuff

My good friend Sarah has just set up a blog dedicated to her art. She is a very talented artist. If you are interested in art then you should definitely check her blog out. Shes also the singer in a band called Lets Buy Happiness and are coming out with an EP very soon (http://www.myspace.com/letsbuyhappinessuk)

Here the link:

http://sarahlizhart.blogspot.com/

This is my favourite piece. She has not posted this on her blog as of yet and shes currently on holiday.




Bryden xx

10 songs I'm listening to...Tag!

I saw this tag on carbonprincess' blog and thought I'd have a go myself. It seems like it's an old tag but I'm sure I can be forgiven :]

1. Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound.
I am soo excited to see this band at Leeds Festival. I absolutely love this song!

2. Set your Goals - Mutiny!
Another band which I am hoping to catch at Leeds Festival. This is a really upbeat song sound wise. You could have a good drunken dance to this one! haha

3. Metro Station - Shake it.
BIGGEST GUILTY PLEASURE IN THE WORLD. My friend is a dj at a local nightclub and he sometimes plays and dedicates the song to me. Makes me cringe everytime! This song reminds me of a really happy time though so I still love it.

4. Calvin Harris - Ready for the Weekend.
This song is soo catchy I can't stop listening to it. I really love Calvin Harris. He's got an awesome sense of humour and I really love his youtube channel. I'm also going to see him at the 02 Academy in Newcastle in October. Exciting!

5. The Pierces - Ruin.
Such a beautiful song sang by two beautiful women. This song is soo beautiful yet soo bitter at the same time. The perfect combination in my opinion for a 'boys are rubbish' phase!

6. Tilly and the Wall - Pot Kettle Black.
I've seen this band a handful times and they are such a feel good band. This is one of their heavier songs and it's awesome! They've changed their sound quite recently and this is one of their newer songs. I much prefer their older sound but this was a pleasant suprise! I really wish I could tap dance!

7. Polar Bear Club - Burned Out In A Jar.
Another band at Leeds Festival this year. I saw these at the O2 Academy in Newcastle a few month ago and they were awesome. I only wish it was in a more intimate venue. Check this band out. SOO GOOD.

8. Jacks Mannequin - Bruised.
Such a lovely song sang by a lovely man. The singer is Andrew McMahon who is also in Something Corporate. He has such a lovely voice!

9. Paramore - Crushcrushcrush.
I love dancing to this song when I'm out.

10. Shook Ones - Bad Year.
This is one of my favourite bands of all time and I recently had the honour of cooking for them when they played a venue in Newcastle. My friend is a promoter and put the gig on. I usually make food for bands for him when he gets them to play Newcastle. I made spag bol and garlic bread if you're interested! I got to have a few drinks with a couple members of the band after the gig. I was very shy but it was awesome! Check this band out if you're into melodic hardcore and similar bands like Against Me!, Crime In Stereo and Kid Dynamite.


Bryden xxx