Good day sunshine

I know, I know, I'm a fashion and beauty blogger... but I genuinely could not resist sharing this beautiful pic with you all! As you probably know, it's ridiculously warm in London/England in general at the mo, and I've been at work so unable to enjoy it so far...

... except for on the wonderful terrace at work! This photo was taken yesterday on the terrace - how lucky am I to have such an incredible space to chill out on when I manage to tear myself away from my desk?! And the view is sensational. Enjoy!

xx

I Want Never Gets... Lulu Guinness

A trip to the House of Fraser on Oxford St isn't complete without a drool session over Lulu Guinness handbags...

This quilted tote bag is quite understated but I love it! It'd be perfect as a work bag as it's subtle but still has that quirky edge to show your personality. £275 Linky!

Another stunning bag, this burgundy patent tote bag looks good enough to eat! £295 Linky!

I have actually spent a good 15mins stroking this bag in HoF! It's so beautifully well made and looks gorgeous, with the traditional Lulu Guinness lips printed all over it. £275 Linky!

My favourite, this studded bow tote is so me! It's quirky and cute but the studs give it a bit of a rockier edge. If only I had £650 lying around so I could treat myself! Linky!

xx

Hey baby, I'll take you to the top

Despite starting work and now only having 2 days a week maximum to wear casual clothes, that hasn't stopped me buying a few bits and pieces from H&M recently...

I reckon this sheer polka dot blouse is versatile enough to wear for work and for play, which was a good enough excuse for me buying it! At only £14.99 it was a bit of a bargain too.. Linky!

I am a pretty big Nirvana fan so investing in this tee (£9.99) was a bit of a no-brainer. I can't find a link for this I'm afraid!

Likewise with this simple Beatles tee, also £9.99. I love wearing this with denim shorts, opaque tights and a chunky cardi..

...like this one! Elbow patches are everywhere this season and I'm not sure if I love them or hate them. As this little beast was only £14.99 I decided to buy it anyway and make up my mind later, so far I love it! I think the colour is spot on for autumn, I think it'll go with most things.

Have you seen anything that takes your fancy in H&M recently? How do you feel about elbow patches?

xx

E.L.F. mega haul #4 - studio cream eyeliner

Welcome to the fourth instalment of my E.L.F. mega haul! I realise it's taking me ages to get through all these reviews but it does give me the opportunity to individually review each product I purchased. This week I'm looking at the E.L.F. Studio Cream Eyeliner. Click here to view the eyeliner on the E.L.F. website, which retails at £3.50.

I was SO excited when I ordered the Cream Eyeliners in Copper & Black. As you have probably gathered from my numerous posts on eyeliners in the past, I'm a bit of an addict! The E.L.F. eyeliner comes in a little glass pot with a small plastic slanted brush. At first I was disappointed by the brush - to be honest it doesn't look that great and appeared a bit flimsy. I did love the pot though, it looks more high end and less drugstore brand.

Here is what's inside the pot! I've only posted pics of the Copper eyeliner because with Black you generally know what you're getting. The Copper colour is absolutely gorgeous, it's so much nicer than other plain brown eyeliners I've used, but its still subtle and not too shimmery. To use the eyeliner, you dip your brush inside the pot to get a little product on it, and then apply close to the lashes in a straight line, gradually building up the thickness of your line if that's the look you're going for. When applying the eyeliner I found I didn't really have to build the colour, which was nice, and the brush is very well designed for ease of application - its much easier to get a straight line than you'd think!

Here's a pic of my first attempt with the Copper liner - I think I did a pretty good job to say that this was the first time I'd used a brush to apply eyeliner. I'm much more used to pencils and felt tip applicators! Ever since purchasing the Copper & Black Cream Eyeliners I have literally been HOOKED! I have worn one or the other every single day since! (usually black on a weekend rather than for work as it's a bit dramatic against my pale skin!)

I love love love this product, I've definitely been converted to cream liners now! I'm actually a little sad because I love these so much I'm unlikely to ever return to felt tip liners or pencils again, despite the fact that I have quite a collection (except for application to the waterline, when pencils become invaluable). If you have any ideas as to what I can do with my little used eyeliners that are now redundant, leave your suggestion as a Comment.

Overall I think it's clear I'd recommend the E.L.F. Studio Cream Eyeliner. Especially in comparison to the Maybelline Gel Eyeliner, which retails for £7.99, you can't get much better value! In fact, I'm trying very hard to resist purchasing the liner in at least 4 other colours - I've got my eye on Gunmetal, Purple, Midnight and Metallic Olive at the moment!

xx

In These Shoes?

I'm not usually a Primark girl, but whilst browsing with a friend a few weeks ago these incredible chunky heels caught my eye and it was love at first sight..

I don't think they look like Primark shoes at all! And how delighted was I when I arrived at the checkout to find they had actually been reduced to £4?! I didn't have any brown shoes before I bought these beauties but they go with so much I love them! The chunky heels are bang on trend for AW11 too!

Have you unknowingly bought anything that turned out to be an absolute bargain recently?

xx

I Want Never Gets... Day Dresses

I have been hooked on the ASOS website ever since getting the internet back - I love so much of their new season stock! Too much, in fact, to limit to one post only, so stay tuned for a few more ASOS-oriented I Want Never Gets items! First up, delicious AW11 day dresses!

This gorgeous maroon spotted print dress would look so cute with opaque tights and a huge chunky knit cardy in the soon-to-be-chilly weather! I LOVE peterpan collars at the moment and this one is delightful! £40 Linky!

 Again, how adorable is the collar on this knitted dress? I think this would be perfect with sheer black tights and brogues! Simple but chic, and only £35! Linky!

I really love the carousel horse print on this jumper dress, its so kitsch! Not sure the style would suit my body shape though... £35 Linky!

I'm besotted with this dress, it's so unique! And again with the peterpan collar! I really am going to try hard not to buy this, it's £45 which I think is a bit steep for a day dress. Linky!

Have you seen anything you're desperate to buy in the AW11 stock?

xx

Koko Cosmetics Store Opening in Westfield, London!

If you remember back in August I posted about finding a wonderful new brand called Kiko Milan Cosmetics whilst in Venice (click here if not)... well guess who's opened a new store in Westfield, London?! Kiko!

I was at Westfield with my best friend a couple of weeks ago when I noticed the store and was overjoyed! What a coincidence that only last month I discovered the brand whilst in Italy, & quickly became besotted with their nail varnish (and eyeshadow, which I will review next weekend). The store opened on the 9th so pop down today and see what all the fuss is about, you won't be disappointed! I'm looking forward to investing in some nail art tools, as I saw quite a few I liked the look of when I was in Italy but didn't have the rucksack space!

Click here for the official Kiko website.

xx

You wear dresses that never fade

After receiving my first ever grown-up pay check I headed straight to H&M to invest in some staple pieces from their AW11 collection...

This gorgeous cream lace dress was a bargain at £24.99, which obviously Pippa Middleton also appreciated as she was snapped in it on her birthday recently! I'm excited about wearing this out with opaque tights, brogues and a chunky knit cardi! Although the boyfriend reckons it looks more like granny curtains... Linky!

 I also bought these two cute tea dresses (recognise the blue one from my I Want Never Gets post?), which were an absolute bargain at £14.99 each! Perfect for wearing with tights in the winter but I reckon they'll look just as fabulous with bare legs in the summer! Linky!

xx

E.L.F. mega haul #3 - mineral eyeshadow

After a minor delay, this is the third instalment of my E.L.F. mega haul. You'll find the first and second ones earlier in my blog. This week I'm posting about the amazing Mineral Eyeshadows. I'm already a massive fan of mineral make up, I use Lily Lolo foundation (click here for LL website), finishing powder & blusher on a daily basis and think it does wonders for my skin! So you can imagine how eager I was to try the E.L.F. eyeshadows, given that they're a bargain at £3.00 each! Click here to visit the E.L.F. website and see for yourself.

The eyeshadows are very similar in size and general appearance to the Lily Lolo eyeshadows I own (which retail at £5.29 each). Like most mineral eyeshadows they come in a small pot with a little filter popped on top to control the amount of product that's deposited. Overall I think the packaging and the style of the pot is very good for the price.

Here are Temptress, Sweet & Caffeinated swatched on my arm in that order bottom -> top.  I find using Tempress as a base and Sweet as a sort of highlighter in the corners of my eyes closest to my nose gives a lovely natural & subtle effect. I haven't really used Caffeinated yet as it's a little dark for daytime use.

Here are Enchanting & Trendy swatched on my arm in the same order (top -> bottom). I love Enchanted but I think it's a bit too shimmery for daytime wear, whereas Trendy is just right - on its own or used with other neutrals to give a subtle smokey eye.

Overall I really like the quality of these eyeshadows and you get plenty of product for your money! Although as a general rule drugstore brands don't do matte shadows well, these are an exception to that rule. The shimmer shadows are absolutely gorgeous and nicely pigmented but the matte ones also give great colour payoff and last all day if used in conjunction with the E.L.F. eyelid primer. I'm very impressed with the packaging, the product and the value and would happily recommend these!

 xx

I Want Never Gets... Miu Miu

I am absolutely besotted with the majority of Miu Miu's AW11 offering, but here are 4 pieces I would happily give up food to be able to afford:

This coat is so beautiful! It looks super snuggly but also bang on trend whilst remaining timeless for the foreseeable future. An investment piece but still not one I could afford at £2,435 Linky! 

I adore the sequin collar of this simple white blouse, if only I could afford to spend £385 on just a blouse! Linky!

These little bow heels are so cute! They're full of personality but because they're black they'd go well with most other colour combinations. I think they'd look equally gorgeous with skinnies or a cocktail dress. If only I had a spare £420... Linky!

My leopard print fascination continues with this shoulder bag. It's big enough to keep all your daily essentials in but still super stylish and would look great in winter or summer. £1,350 Linky!

xx

Conspicuous Absence..

Hi guys! I just wanted to post and quickly explain why there was only 1 post for you to read this weekend! As you know, I've recently moved into a new flat and that came with a whole host of internet issues! We were down for almost 9 days which I luckily managed to plan for with a  few scheduled posts, but not for Friday & Saturday so I apologise profusely! Rest assured that I will be working extra hard this week to ensure content returns to normal this week! Thanks for your patience and bearing with me!

In other non-f&b, personal-life news, I have now been in my new job as a trainee solicitor for 3 weeks! So far it's gone well but my body is taking a little while to adjust to the early starts and late finishes! On the bright side, I have bought lots of lovely bits and pieces with my first paycheck that I'm excited to show you at the weekend! Another new addition to my life is my boyfriend ! I'm not really one to shout about my personal life but he is rather super & I have just had a wonderful weekend with him! It's long distance, which isn't ideal, but somehow my heart didn't really consider the distance when it decided to fall for him - tsk tsk!

& on that soppy note I shall wish you all a Happy Sunday (is there such a thing?!) and hope you all have a wonderful week! See you at the weekend when business will return to normal. In the meantime, if you have any comments or suggestions for Bee's Knees, please do email me (elspethdaisy@yahoo.co.uk) or catch me on twitter @ElspethDaisy

xx

Show me your TEETH

I used to have massive self confidence issues about my teeth. They were yellow and I just HATED seeing them, so I used to do this awkward sort of half smile, showing as little tooth as possible. That all changed and now I pride myself on my non-yellow teeth. Hey, they're not perfect Hollywood white but that'd look creepy anyway! Here are my two tips to getting a whiter smile:

I use Crest Whitestrips imported from America. They contain too much bleach to be sold in the UK so I purchase mine from eBay sellers, however don't let this scare you - they are perfectly safe. I've used them twice now (once a year), twice a day for a 14 day period and despite having sensitive teeth I've had very few issues with them. They do make my teeth a teeny bit more sensitive to cold and hot things, but that usually only lasts for a few days, whereas the results of the whitening last much longer. Overall a worthy sacrifice in my opinion. They are essentially strips you apply to your top and bottom teeth, leave on for (a drooly) 30 minutes and then remove and brush any residue off. As I said, repeat this twice a day for a fortnight and hey presto! White teeth. Simple. And cheap if you go down the eBay route. Linky!

As a top-up to my annual at-home whitening, I now use White Glo toothpaste. This toothpaste has only recently come on sale in the UK, I think its an Australian brand, but I can't recommend it enough. I bought mine when I worked at Boots (3 for the price of 2 - can't argue with that!) and you get a toothpaste, a toothbrush and a toothpick all for around £4! I use the 'Professional Choice' one but there are different types on sale, including one specially designed for coffee drinkers. I like the taste of this in comparison to other brands I've tried (here's looking at you, weird tasting Beverly Hills Formula!) and my sister tells me my teeth are whiter every time I see her! Score! Definitely recommended as a top-up to annual whitening. Linky!

xx

I Want Never Gets... H&M

I received the H&M Autumn Season 2011 catalogue about a month ago, and resisted the urge to frantically leaf through its glossy pages for all of about 5 minutes! Let's just clarify one thing - I LOVE H&M! I might go in some days and not see anything I want to buy, but let it be known that come autumn I am usually 100% infatuated with a large proportion of the stock. When I used to be in Sixth Form College back home in Leeds and I had a free period, I would often be found sneaking into town (a mere 10 minute walk) for a guilty browse of clothes I'd probably seen only a few days ago when I was doing the exact same thing! Anyway, on with the show:

I adore this cute tweed blazer, it's so perfect for the Heritage trend that's about to explode all over the high street for AW11! And it's such a great bargain at £19.99, what more could you want?! Linky!

Ever since I saw this dress in the catalogue I have been fantasising about wearing it to the pub on an evening, teamed with some trusty brogues, opaque tights and a cardi! Alexa chic in other words! I think the colour is just gorgeous and the cut looks perfect too! At £14.99 I'm definitely adding this to my wardrobe when I get paid at the end of the month! Linky!

I think the colour of this pretty green blouse is quite unusual, which is probably what initially drew me to it! I'd love to wear it with a grey pencil skirt and black tights for work in the autumn, but I think it'd look just as lovely with some skinnies and boots (see below!) for a more casual look. A steal at £14.99 Linky!

And finally, my biggest infatuation of the lot! As a shoe and boot girl, it was inevitable for me to fall head over heel for these beauties. I think the colour is just wonderful and will go with almost everything in my AW11 wardrobe, so definitely an investment piece (I say, trying to justify buying yet another pair of boots!). I am positively excited about the day I can afford to buy these! They're made from imitation leather so vegan-friendly too! And at £29.99 I don't think my bank balance will complain too much either! Linky!

xx

Just because I'm losing, doesn't mean I'm lost

As I was sorting through my stuff and packing ready to move flats, I came across this:

(if you follow me on Twitter you'll already know)

My Barry M Lip Lacquer Crayon in shade no.3 'Mandarin'! Now I bought this way back before the summer, when I bought the crayon in another colour too (click here to read review), but after only a day of ownership it disappeared and I couldn't find it! I'm overjoyed to have reclaimed it as I love the other crayon I have but it's not a colour I wear very often. Red, on the other hand, I LOVE wearing!

This is an absolutely delightful product - I am smitten! The red is very bright - almost pillarbox (which doesn't show well in the photos for whatever reason) and has tiny bits of glitter in it. I adore the colour, but on top of that it's also super easy to apply due to the design, and it doesn't dehydrate lips but has great staying power! All in all, it's everything you'd want from a lip colour, and it comes in a cute, easy-to-fit-into-even-the-tiniest-clutch crayon! £4.99 Linky!

xx

Well it's only for the bits & pieces

I've just moved flats and started a new job, which means I've had to cough up money for a new deposit and advance rent before I've even gotten my deposit back from my old place or received my first pay check! Long story short - I'm skint. And so I've not been doing as much shopping of late, however here are a couple of things I picked up recently:

 I adore these cute high waisted blue shorts! They were ~£6 from Miss Selfridge in the sale, I can't find a link on the website but they are very similar to these just in a darker colour. I've already worn these loads, and they look great on a night out if you're going to an indie or rock club! Unfortunately I'm not so handy with an iron so they look a bit ridiculous all creased etc, but they're divine on! Buying these was one of those lovely moments when you take a sale item to the till and it ends up being considerably less than you'd expected! Does shopping get any better than that?! 

This cute peach polka dot blouse was originally bought to form part of my work wardrobe, but I have found myself wearing it casually with high waisted jeans or a skirt - its just so versatile! Plus it has a pussy bow, making it bang on trend for AW11. I'm very pleased with this little bargain, only £13 from Dorothy Perkins! Linky!

xx

Dream Product: Aloe Vera Gel

Most bloggers have a list, or a series of posts, recommending their 'holy grail' beauty products. Not one to miss a trick, I thought it might be nice to start a series of Dream Product posts, where every now and again I share my favourite bits and pieces with you!

Up first is Aloe Vera Gel. I bought this product after a friend recommended it for treating the post-wax, post-shave bikini line (you know what I'm talking about, it ain't pretty). I rushed out to buy it about 4 years ago and I've been repurchasing ever since - I can't imagine my life without it! Why? It's cheap, it lasts and lasts, it smells nice, it reduces redness, swelling & shaving rash, and it's versatile. When I say versatile, I mean whenever you have a skin complaint you can whack some aloe vera gel on it and it will be fixed. Dry skin? Gone. Sun burn? No longer itchy and a lot less red. Eczema? Not so bad. It's that good. And at only £5.99 for 200ml from Holland and Barrett, you can't afford NOT to have this Dream Product in your life! Linky!

xx