I Want Never Gets... Kurt Geiger

If you've been paying attention, you'll know I am 100%, absolutely & unashamedly a shoe girl. And what shoe girl doesn't love Kurt Geiger? I have a £55 gift card lurking in my purse, so I've been keeping an eye on their new stock to see if there's anything that grabs my fancy (of course being a semi-sensible shoe girl I will patiently wait for my choice to go into the January sales...)

How cute are these simple leopard print flats? I love how chic they are - they'd look incredible just paired with skinnies and a blazer for a laid back shopping trip, and the colours would update your outfit for AW11 in a heartbeat. £180 Linky!

 I love love love the delicious plum colour of these platform peep toes - the hue is perfect for AW11! They are the epitome of Kurt Geiger class, and are itching to make their way into my shoe collection! I like the chunkier heel (my feet would probably thank me for it later) and the platform also adds to the comfort factor. Gorgeous and perfect for an important meeting at work. £180 Linky!

Finally these classic flats would be perfect to wear to the office on days when my feet flat out refuse to wear heels. They remind me of the infamous Chanel patent toe pump, but at £110 are much less bank balance destroying. Hardly affordable, but they'd definitely be an investment shoe that would last throughout the season and beyond. Linky!

xx

Body Shop Wheatgrass Fixing Gel

If you remember a few months ago, I purchased a bits and pieces from the Body Shop with their amazing 50% off code (click here if not). This is my second review post, looking at the Wheatgrass Fixing Gel.

I recently went from having a curly graduated bob with full fringe/bangs to a pixie crop with no fringe at all! I'd planned the cut so it would make my life easier when I went travelling - having a full fringe is high maintenance and I didn't want to have to lug a hairdryer halfway around Europe! So instead I simply packed a brush and this product, hoping it'd be all I would need!

I was right! You get a whopping 150ml of gel for £7 (but I only paid £3.50 due to the offer!) which will probably last forever. I find that I only need to use a tiny amount of product every day, perhaps a fraction bigger than a pea! I rub it in my hands and then just run my hands over my hair, ruffling it up a bit to create a bit of much-needed texture. I find this gel does sometimes make my hair 'hard' where I have unintentionally put too much on in a particular place, but a bit more ruffling when my hair's dry soon sorts this out! The gel also has a UV filter which I appreciated so much when I was in the scorching heat of Croatia & my poor hair had nowhere to hide!

Overall I like this product. I'm not much of an expert on gels, having only recently had hair short enough to use it, but I found this non-sticky, easy to use and brilliant value for money! Definitely recommended, although I'll admit to looking forward to having my 'proper' hair back & using mousse again! Linky!

xx

First the Earth was flat

I popped into Primark when I was up in Leeds visiting the fam a couple of weekends ago, and picked up some bargain comfy flats!

I'd wanted some comfy pumps for a good while after seeing a friend rocking them in a gorgeous summer outfit with shorts. I bought these two pairs for £2.50 each - ridiculously good value and they're mega versatile! 

I also picked up these cute little brogues for £8 - super cheap given that identical shoes can sell for £30+ in other high street shops! They're not the most comfortable flats I've ever owned but I'm hoping that can be remedied by wearing them in around the house! I've already worn these out with a cute tea dress and cardigan.

Where do you buy your comfy flats from?

xx

E.L.F. mega haul #2 - lipsticks

Welcome to installment #2 of my E.L.F. mega haul! I bought 5 lipsticks from E.L.F. in my super splurge a couple of weeks ago:

This is the Studio Matte Lip Colour in 'Natural'. I loved the design of this product when I first saw it on the wbesite, I'm a big fan of changing up the design of lipstick to aid application. This lip colour is shaped like a big chunky pencil which definitely makes it easier to apply, and when you need more product you simply twist the bottom!

I was looking for a nice subtle shade that I could wear to work and I think I found it! Also, the product doesn't dry out your lips; it has lots of lovely moisturising agents in it which is ideal! I would definitely recommend purchasing this, I intend to invest in some different colours when I have a bit more money! £3.50 Linky!

Next up is 'Seductive' from E.L.F.'s basic line of lipsticks. I already own two from this range ('Gypsy' and 'Classy' - click here to read about them) and so I already knew the packaging wouldn't look great (especially compared to the Mineral line, but more on that later) but the actual product is usually much better. 

This colour was a bit more pink than I'd expected - much less subtle than the Matte Lip Colour so I'm not sure if this will get much wear on work days. I do like the colour though, and can see myself wearing it on a relaxing weekend! As with all other basic E.L.F. lipsticks, it can be quite drying so you do need to combine with a lip balm (I use Carmex) to keep your lips happy and the colour at its best. £1.50 Linky!

This is one of the 3 Mineral lipsticks I bought, this one is 'Party Pink'. The packaging on the Mineral line is just gorgeous, it looks so much nicer and sturdier than the basic E.L.F. lipstick line! I would definitely not be embarrassed whipping this out in the toilets at work!

The colour is nice and natural and actually quite sheer. It's perfect for wearing to work, which was the main reason behind my mega haul in the first place! It goes on nice and smoothly, no staining afterward, and is very creamy and soft on your lips. I didn't combine this with Carmex as it didn't dry out my lips! An absolute steal at £3.50 Linky!

 This is another Mineral lipstick, shade 'Rosy Raisin'.

Again a natural & sheer colour, this gives just a gentle hint of plum which I love. It kept my lips hydrated and went on beautifully, no complaints here! £3.50 Linky!

 Last but not least is 'Nicely Nude'.

 I don't really have much to add to what I've already said about the Mineral lipsticks - they're great! This colour is subtle & exactly what I was looking for! £3.50 Linky!

I think this shade and the Studio Matte Lip Colour will probably get worn the most at work, but I can definitely see myself mixing it up with other shades too, especially some of my MUA lipsticks!

xx

I Want Never Gets... Coats

Now that the A/W11 trends are dominating fashion magazines and blogs, I thought it would be appropriate to share with you some of my favourite winter coats from the high street. I LOVE winter, there's something just so wonderful about layering up chunky knits, belted warm coats and a quirky woolly hat!

First up is this simple, classic black coat with the interesting addition of a double collar. I have a bit of a thing for belted coats (having boobs means unless you have a belt to pull you in, you end up looking like you're wearing a sack), and I think this one would be a perfect work coat - you could easily add colourful scarves and gloves to bring a bit of personality to it. £100 from Warehouse Linky!

Again with a belt, this double breasted flared dress is adorable (and so is the model!). I think its a really great colour to go for if you're bored of black coats, and will look cute worn over most things due to the flared skirt. £120 from ASOS Linky!

A little less conventional is this heritage coat. I love the tweed-style fabric and the two toned arm and back of the coat. Admittedly I wouldn't be able to wear this to work, but as a weekend coat it would work well over most clothes. If only I could afford to have a weekend winter coat... sigh. £100 from ASOS Linky!

My favourite of all is this absolutely divine drape coat from Oasis. I can't put into words how much I want this coat! It definitely doesn't look like a high street coat, and has the makings of much higher end outerwear! I'm hoping I'll be able to save up for this beauty before it sells out (increasingly unlikely due to moving house and having to pay 1,000 years of rent up front!) £95 from Oasis Linky!

When do you think is early enough to invest in winter wear without it being too early?

xx

Fabulous Nails #6

As I enter the big bad world of professional work on Monday, I've been keen to experiment with my nails over the summer while I still can! Inspired by the (occasionally) bright and shiny weather, and my most favourite sweets, I created a Skittles-inspired nail look!

 I LOVE Skittles. They're so yummy, and perfect for passing the time on a boring train journey back to London from Leeds (check out my photo bombing Creative Zen!)

 These are the polishes I used for this effect:

L->R:

Barry M 'Bright Purple' 303, Barry M 'Spring Green' 290, Miss Sporty yellow quick dry polish, Ruby and Millie 'Orange 300c', Barry M 'Bright Red' 262.

I got so many comments on my nails when I had them painted like this! I think it's an easy, fun way to brighten up your nails for the summer.

xx

Pack Your Bags

I bought a couple of tops for my trip to Europe that I didn't end up taking with me, so I returned them to New Look in exchange for this absolutely gorgeous cross-body bag!

I was smitten at first sight with this beauty, it looks more vintage than high street, & is just big enough to fit all my daily essentials in. It was an absolute bargain at £15.99! I've been using it every day since I purchased it! Linky!

xx

E.L.F. mega haul #1 - shimmering facial whip

When E.L.F. (eyeslipsface) recently gave customers a code offering them a whopping 50% off the entire website, I couldn't resist! As my followers on Twitter will know, I ended up spending £31.50, qualifying for free shipping too! This is what £63 will get you at E.L.F.:

Obviously too many products to cover in just one post! So for the next few weeks I'll do a post every weekend on a different group of products, ensuring I'm thorough with my reviews and don't bore you endlessly with one mega review! Today's post is on the Shimmering Facial Whip - I already had this in two shades but one of them exploded in my bag (sadface) and the other just doesn't match my skintone. So I purchased the whip in Spotlight and Lilac Petal...

This is Spotlight. It's the lightest shade of the whip and I thought it would be useful as a highlighter on nights out. In real life, the tone is much more subtle than I expected but it still gives a gorgeous light-reflecting shimmer. As with all the whips, you only need a small amount and it blends into the skin easily. It also smells lovely - the facial whips have a tasty citrus scent to them which is luckily not too overpowering!

This is Lilac Petal. I have been using this as a highlighter every day since it arrived - I adore it! You can see the brilliant shimmer effect it gives on the skin which is perfect for a nice natural make up look in the summer. I will probably use Spotlight for a more subtle look when I start work and the winter starts creeping in.

Overall a fantastic product, definitely recommended. The whips are sold HERE for £1.50 each, I'd recommend purchasing a couple of shades to ensure you end up with one that matches your skin. I can't hype this product up enough, I actually prefer it over Benefit High Beam as a highlighter! And as I got mine for 75p I am one happy bunny!

xx

I Want Never Gets... Stella McCartney

As someone who is about to start work in a very professional and well-to-do career (I start work as a trainee solicitor on Monday, eek!), I'm well aware that appearances in the workplace make all the difference. Especially in a male-dominated work environment, us girls have to work hard to ensure we're dressed in the smartest, most appropriate way without sacrificing our personalities, whilst maintaining decorum and avoiding appearing slutty and show boating. Sounds like hard work! It is, unless you're lucky enough to be able to afford any of Stella McCartney's classically tailored collection.

This silk-satin blouse is so effortlessly chic, its beautiful. The colour is divine, the fit is perfect and the necklice remains appropriate for the workplace. £395 Linky!

As the days continue to fly by and autumn is increasingly closer, I am become more and more obsessed with winter wear, coats especially! This incredible masculine coat radiates style without being too garish and would be an ideal addition to any professional girl's wardrobe. £895 Linky!

Another gorgeous blouse here; I especially love the added twist of the merlot cuffs to what would have otherwise been a fairly standard, but most certainly elegent, white shirt. £435 Linky!

Finally, this blazer is the icing on the proverbial cake. It takes a slight risk by mixing navy with black but easily succeeds. I adore the tuxedo style of this jacket, it reminds me of my Reiss black suit jacket that is a similar fit only slightly shorter (my one show stopping piece in my work wardrobe, bought in the sale of course). £1,175 Linky!

xx

40 is a Magic Number!

I just wanted to say a mahoosive THANK YOU to every single one of you fabulous followers! Bee's Knees is now lucky enough to have 40 of you, and I could not be happier!

In other news, I've added some pages to the blog to aid navigation. If you can think of any other pages you'd like to see added please leave a comment or email me @ elspethdaisy@yahoo.co.uk with your idea.

xx

Window shopping in Venice

Venice has lots of wonderful shops, with even more wonderful displays! Here is a selection of my favourites:

Louis Vuitton handbags with bird legs! Ingenious!

Missoni A/W11

Gorgeous Cavalli dresses

Summer is still alive at Miu Miu


 
 Miscellaneous (aka I can't remember)

 & last but not least, an incredibly stunning display from Hermes

xx