Thursday 28 June 2012

Vintage Indulgence @ Lots of Loveliness


















If you love kitsch, cute, vintage, jewellery, homeware and bespoke vintage furniture then you'll adore Lots of Loveliness.  A small, kitsch boutique in Middlesbrough nearing it's first year in business and going from strength to strength.



Miss Debbie Isley is the owner of this stunning treasure trove and is also the creative hands (which are usually covered in paint!) that restores drab and bleak unloved pieces of furniture into shabby chic wonderful pieces, that are totally unique and usually bespoke to a customers request. So if you happen to have any old furniture, dressing tables, bedside cabinets, bookcases or happen to spot a bargain by in a charity shop, just let Debbie use her artistic imaginiation to restore it's former glory and create you something beautifully unique.



Debbie also stocks vintage pieces of home decoration, from quirky signs and cute in demand Owl cushions whihc are so cute! Debbie also makes saught after cake stands from scratch so if you have any vintage quirky plates at hand then why not ask Deb to make them into a cake stand for you?

The jewellery ranges from quirky Jelly Baby rings and dolly mixture bracelets to stunning and chic silver jewellery, so whatever your taste,  Lots of Loveliness will have something for you. 




If your feeling in the mood for some cute, kitsch vintage buying then head on over to the  Lots Of Loveliness Online Shop, beware your cart may be full within a matter of minutes!!


Thursday 21 June 2012

I'm a MAD Plucker...MAD Beauty





When I spotted these glittering beauties I had to have them, I had to own them, they are spangly, glitzy and gorge!, found in my favourite shop of the year, TK Maxx.  My lunch hour usually consists of me perusing the aisles of this store, trying to resist the urges of the handbag aisle,  mostly I triumph, yet I very, very rarely leave empty handed, whether I pick up some new gym gear, a cute diary or notepad, a pair of unique shoes I can guarantee I find bargain and leave pleased with my purchase.  

These tweezers from modern brand MAD Beauty, were certainly a bargain, RRP £4.99 but mine for £2.99 I was excited to bring some glamour into the depilation of my brows, of which these certainly do bring, I'm left with glitter all over my eye area!! A tad annoying, and I'm a glitter freak.  I can see these losing their sparkle after a few uses and I may have to retreat to my battered but reliable and trustworthy Tweezermans.  

Sunday 17 June 2012

Beach Chic

Beach Chic

With Hearts In My eye
$180 - bonadrag.com

Lanvin wooden wedge
$385 - aloharag.com

Giuseppe Zanotti flat sandals
$488 - giuseppezanottidesign.com

Friis Company leather handbag
€85 - shopfriiscompany.com

Dorothy Perkins chunky bangle
$17 - dorothyperkins.com

J Crew straw hat
$38 - jcrew.com

Fun at Fashion Rules

Here are a few photos from the Fashion Rules event hosted by Middlesbrough Life & Style staged at MIMA - a great event showcasing the upcoming local businesses from vintage fashion boutiques to the best tasty treats.  I didn't get chance to see the fashion show but check out the video of it here


I love going to these events as you realise all the great businesses on your doorstep and I'm all about supporting local independant businesses, my friend Debbie was there showcasing her items from her Lots of Loveliness shop, speaking of which have you checked out Lots of Loveliness's Online shop yet? If not then CLICK HERE, and if you have why not have another visit?!!




Love Leigh Leigh xx





Monday 11 June 2012

Benefit Hoola Dupe...W7 Honolulu






My all time Favourite Bronzer is Benefit's Hoola.  It has fast become a cult product and so it should be, it;s matte, the perfect shade, not orangy in the slightest and is neither chalky nor powdery and lasts all day.  Now I do beleive it is worth it's £23.50 price tag, but for those, well for me, that goes through the little box of perfection so fast it can last just a month, the price is a tad high for mothly expenditure on a bronzer.  
Therefore my quest is to try and uncover a worthy alternative at a lesser price.

Will W7 Honolulu be the one? The colour match is great, but it seems a tad crumbly / delicate as soon as the brush touches it, but for £2.99 (found in Boyes) I can't complain and it will suffice until I find the next contender for Hoola replacement.

Don't you just love its Dip Dye Brush! 


Leigh x

Saturday 9 June 2012

VIE Vanishing Act, Self Tan Corrector for those Tanning Disasters!



No matter whether a bronzing beginner or someone who has a talent for tanning, you certainly will or definitely have at some point,  experienced that awful moment the morning after tanning.  
 You've washed off your guide colour and most of your skin is an even, golden glow, result, but then you notice that nuisance dry area is looking considerably darker/more orange than the rest of you, your knuckles or fingers are looking suspiciously stripy or you may have hit the jackpot and got a really nice telltale tanning streak. This moment usually occurs on the day of a special event or occasion, well it would do wouldn't it?! The suual response is to panic, try scrubbing the area till your skin is sore, get the tan back out to cover it up/blend it in (this never works by the way) or begin an outfit overhaul in order to hide the mishap in question.   
Wellll....panic no more, those days are over if you purchase this magic potion of a product that will get rid of / lessen the appearance of those tanning mishaps!
Does it work? Yes I would say it does, although its not as straightforward or as easy as it claims, but is anything? 
As you can see from the pictures I had a tanning trouble after tanning late at night and in a hurry, I wasnt concentrating and was a tad slap-dash and ended up with (serves me right for not taking this tanning session seriously) a lovely orange streak on the side and back of my ankle, attractive.

I sprayed, as directed, the lotion onto a cotton wool pad and gently swept, as directed, over my ankle, slight removal of tan, but to really disguise the streak I had to apply more of an active rub than a gentle sweep and used 2 cotton wool pads, Im not particularly bothered that is took more than advised I'm just happy it lessened the appearence of the orange streak on my ankle and leg


RRP is around £6, but I found this gem on the shelves of Boyes for £1.99, a small price to pay for this tanning security blanket.  


Have you tried this, what other methods have you used or heard of to get rid of tanning errors?


Leigh xx

Sunday 3 June 2012

Fashion Rules: MIDDLESBROUGH Fashion Event MIMA

Fashion Rules: Fashion Rules: The biggest eclectic boutique rolls into Middlesbrough as part of ‘Fashion Rules.’  





Image Credits: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34DM234Hy084T_UJL9UgNFOUKOcwglh7DrXZ0n4S4HgXM-7Av-ZruS6Pcsnq3BWnLd7XUctkpQc_-HMIIo8ArTeYaGxLBOswVEpkAdlqm4ntVX4Hi1WioJ4Fm8SDafRN94qZ0B_Mg3Owq/s400/fashionrules_2.jpg



I've been soooo excited for this event, with vintage stalls, designer brands and hair and beauty experts this event is right up my street and also my friend Debbie from Lots of Loveliness will be there, displaying her lovely vintage and quirky items for sale, all in the gorgeous setting of MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art.  


Middlesbrough is booming at the moment with independent boutiques and quirky shops, There is a real buzz about the place and although we lost out on our last City status bid, I still do think one day we can become the next North East City!!  


it's a show and shop event, free to attend at MIMA in Middlesbrough on Thursday 7th June 2012 6-9pm.  


Who's in?! 


Love Leigh Leigh xx