Easter Holidays (shopping, YSL, and chocolate!)

I've enjoyed a rather lovely two weeks holiday from work so Monday morning hit me rather hard. At least waking up is getting a little less difficult now it's actually light and starting to warm up.

I mentioned previously that I had a family wedding to go to during my time off. The wedding was in Cyprus so me and my boyfriend made a holiday out of it. It was really nice to get away for a week and basque in a bit of sunshine, I haven't had a holiday like that in a while. I did a little bit of shopping before, mostly for holiday essentials, beach towels, bikinis, suncream etc, but also a bit of clothing. One of the things I bought was this dress from New Look. I was quite impressed with New Look on this trip, they had a few things I really wanted, but I was sensible. I honed in on this dress which was available in grey, cream and black. The black is exactly the same as the front and it's quite sheer and light which is why I thought it would be perfect for a holiday. It did originally come with two pin on flowers but I wasn't too keen so removed them. It's quite a figure hugging dress so looks pretty good with a waisted belt.

The dress isn't overly "dressy", I've mostly worn it with metallic sandals for a more casual look, but I did see these shoes also, and quite surprisingly, in New Look. I just love the detailing on them, and the killer heel. They are completely impractical but so pretty I couldn't not have them in my collection, and at £30, I think they're a bit of a bargain! I didn't take a decent picture of the dress on. Here's me and the boy in the hotel lobby.

on holiday, I buy perfume from duty free as there's normally good deals. However, with the pound being so weak, it really wasn't any cheaper in euros so I waited til I got home. YSL's Parisienne was on my wishlist, and I had a £5 off YSL voucher, double points coupons and a 150points when you spend over £15 coupon...Boots made sense! Also, currently when you buy YSL perfume you get a free goody bag comprised of a body lotion and shower gel fragranced with the same perfume.
I love free things, especially when you're not expecting them! Parisienne is what I'd describe as a very safe fragrance, not like the Jo Malone cologne I bought which is very distinct. This one is quite a classic scent which I was after, as I'm coming to the end of quite a few of my perfumes and need one that I can reach to at any time of day or night. I think this is a timeless fruity fragrance, classic and modern at the same time (if that's possible?!). I wouldn't pin it on a particular generation is what I mean I suppose.

At 23 years old I'm apparently too old for easter eggs, so I was given a chocolate champagne bottle instead! Yum.

I thought I'd end on a rather beautiful sunset over Cyprus and reminisce on a lovely, happy holiday.

Make-up Product of the Month: January - Yves Saint Laurent La Laque in Bleu Nuit

First up, sorry for the poor quality photo. It is starting to stay lighter later as the spring is on it's way but still not light enough for me to take decent photos after work. I mentioned that I purchased three YSL nail laquers in another blog post, and the one I have kept coming back to is this one: Bleu Nuit. It's not just the poor quality of photograph, in real life this nail varnish verges on black. Unless you really look closely, it doesn't really appear blue at all. You can only really see the blue when the colour is held up next to black. I think that's what I like about it though, black nails are incredibly harsh looking and not pretty. With a touch of blue this shade manages to look quite sleek and classy. Take my word for it; looking at the picture where I've taken it immediately after painting, pre-washing off the excess, it does not look too classy I know!
What I love about this varnish the most is the quality. This is a high end product so I expect as much, but sometimes you don't always get what you pay for. The varnish retails at £16 but I picked up three for £18 at TK Maxx so that equals excellent value for money! I need only two coats, and this lasts at least 2 days completely chip free, but I could get away with 3 or 4 with a top coat.
This is definitely a staple colour for me, perfect for winter time, and one I will continue reaching for, while I can still get away with wearing it.

Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Review

I spotted these gorgeous nail lacquers in TK Maxx and was instantly drawn to them, not just for the colours but the amazing price tag. A box of three with a retail worth of £45 being sold for just £16.99! I don’t own any makeup by Yves Saint Laurent but have for some time been keen to try it out. Nail polish is always a good place to start and I liked all the colours that were part of this bundle. There is: number 28 – Starry Rose, number 37 – Dark Blue, and number 38 – Moonlight White.

(without flash)

(with flash)

I spotted the dark blue first and fell in love with the colour, it’s perfect for this time of year, a very deep blue which looks almost black, it’s only when you take the brush out of the bottle you can tell it’s really blue. Starry Rose is a very easy to wear pink, with a touch of glamour with the glitter particles which makes this a nice choice for wearing to go out. In the picture below I am wearing Moonlight White. I used to own a shade very similar to this years ago but failed to replace once I’d used it up. In the bottle it appears white, with a blue shimmer when you move it around. On your nails, the blue really comes out, as does a pink undertone, the overall effect is a pearl finish. It’s very flattering and suitable for any occasion, it makes a nice change to your typical white tipped manicure. The pictures are both taken in natural light.I would highly recommend any of these nail polishes, they dry very quickly, and after three days of wear have shown no signs of chipping. They do give off quite a strong odour when you’re painting your nails, which I guess is the price paid for the quality of the varnish, just make sure you’re in a well ventilated room would be my advice! I’m not sure I’d be willing to pay their RRP of £16 a piece, but for three, I’m very happy. You can look at all the shades available here:
http://www.yslbeautyus.com/make-up-nails/c38_53/p184/la-laque-long-lasting-nail-lacquer/product_info.html
and see that there are many classic shades to choose from. I have my eye on number 1 – sublime red. Has anyone else been impressed by La Laque?