SS16 Clutch Bag Wishlist

This year is zooming by so quickly that we have skipped through winter to spring before I feel I have had time to blink.  I have an exceptionally busy second half the year looming with three weddings on the horizon and because they are all family events, I cannot get away with wearing the same outfit twice. 

With a wedding, I tend to choose an outfit and bag before shoes and right now there are so many clutch bags that I have my eye on, I have created a wishlist:

Cluth Wishlist SS16 by beautyqueenuk 

I absolutely love Ted Baker Bags and as you might notice, two feature right here. Top middle we have the Ted Baker Chasidy multi floral crossbody clutch bag which also offers a strap option depending upon your preference. Moving clockwise we have the Coast Printed bow bag, which features a flap over front and a magnetic clasp for closing and costing just £35 is an absolute bargain. Ted Baker features again and this time with a slightly different design with the Dorise multi floral crossbody clutch bag. A wishlist wouldn't quite be one without a bit of Vivi and this Vivianne Westwood Derby multi tartan wrist clutch bag caught my eye and it almost matches a dress I quite like. A little more demure with the New Look White Lace 3D Flower Frame Clutch which is a Clip top fastening- clutch which again has an optional chain strap. The black Miss KG Hava Embellished Suedette Clutch Bag from John Lewis is one I have actually seen up close and it is just stunning and again has a detachable gold-toned chain strap and a lock clasp. Finally, right in the centre is the Dune Bubbles Clutch Bag which is a fold over design with a popper fastening and an optional chain strap.

These are just some of the bags that have made an appearance on my Pinterest boards over the last few weeks alongside many others.  Do you have a favourite from my list?

Yankee Candle Halloween Wishlist

Today I am guestposting over on the lovely Georgina's blog Make-up Pixi3 who is in hopsital having her first baby. So I thought I would bring a Halloween theme to my blog with my Yankee Candle wishlist. 

I absolutely love Halloween, I just we celebrated the event as well as some of my American friends who decorate their houses and have amazing parties. As a child I used to love Trick or Treating, the joy of getting buckets full of sweets was amazing, it is a wonder how I still have a mouth full of my own teeth with no fillings whatsoever.

With Halloween comes a lot of limited edition products from some of my favourite brands and one of those is Yankee Candle who have some of the most amazingly decorated jars I have ever seen and with a wishlist as long as my arm, these are just a few of my favourites:

1 Halloween Cat Candle Shade - I absolutely love this and it has been on my eBay wishlist for a long time, though sadly it never seems to be available here in the UK. I love cats, have three of them myself and this candle shade is simply amazing.

2 - Ghostly Treats has the scent of gooey marshmellows, imagine them after roasting on an open fire - that scent!

3 - Happy Halloween Candle which uses a potion of black liquorice spiced with anise and cloves

4 - Candy Corn - The familiar, sweet scent is a fond reminder of Halloween fun and treats.

5 - Witches Brew which is said to be a spicy sweet aroma of exotic patchouli

6 - All Hallows Eve has a mixture of Midnight Jasmine and Evening Air

I love how each one of these jars has its own little theme and how decorative they are, each one of them is designed specifically with Halloween in mind, right down to the actual scent. Even after using them all up, they would look great as storage jars!

Those are just some of the candles I am wanting to get my hands on.  Do you have a favourite Halloween decoration?

The five aftershaves I couldn't be without!

Today on Beautyqueenuk, I am bringing to you a guest post from my Hubby whom you can find on:

Twitter

Bloglovin

Facebook

and I would love it if you would go and give his blog a visit.

I’m fairly new to blogging about my beauty experiences. I only set up www.beautykinguk.co.uk in January. When asked to guest post here, I jumped at the chance.  With the guidance that I could write about anything I wanted I put aside thoughts that made me grin wildly, things like ‘top 10 limericks’ and ‘top ten bars I’ve lost nights in’ and instead plumped for something close to my heart, well close to my skin – aftershave.

Over the years I’ve spent an absolute fortune on the stuff – I’ve tried discount brands, I’ve paid through the nose for luxury brands, been pleased, dazzled and repulsed in equal measure. Today however, I’m going to look at my 5 favourites.

The first that I can’t live without is Bvlgari Extreme – it is by far the best aftershave I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning and my collection is never without a bottle.

Extreme is the concentrate of Bvlgari Pour Homme which means that a little goes a long way. With a fresh citrus fragrance the notes of Darjeeling tea, rosewood and pepper blend beautifully to create a fragrance that has people swooning as you pass by.

A 100ml bottle costs around £30 and it is worth every penny. It oozes class and gives the wearer confidence.

The second is another aftershave from the Bvlgari stable, Bvlgari Man. This is fairly new fragrance launched in 2010 and, and has quickly become a personal favourite.

Again, a 100ml bottle is just £30 and a bottle lasts for ages. The oriental woody fragrance has notes of lotus and bergamot. The heart notes of honey really stand out after dry down and while it’s heavier than aftershaves I normally go for the sheer volume of positive comments mean that it is a must have.

In third place I was torn between choosing either Ralph Lauren Polo black or the blue version. In the end I’ve opted for blue.

While not the cheapest aftershave on the market, it can cost up to £50 for a 125ml bottle the fragrance is divine. It’s been around for over a decade and is more in line with aftershaves I go for.

It’s cool and refreshing while it has warm dry down notes that linger for well over 10 years. With a blend of cucumber and tangerine this is a fresh scent that is fruity on the nose.

Wear this and you will get noticed.

In fourth place is Acqua Di Gio by Georgio Armani which comes in at £35 for a 50ml bottle. Again, it isn’t cheap but it’s worth every penny.

Approaching 20 years since it was launched this fell into my collection after I smelt it on my dad.Crisp and cool it's sold as a bracing oceanic fragrance for men. It has an almost citrus tang to it and I’ve written about it on my blog.

The fragrance has a fresh and almost uplifting property to it and the light nature of it means that while you won’t be able to smell it those around you will – and they will adore it.

My final choice was really difficult, but after much consideration I had to pick Dreamer by Versace. A 100ml bottle is just £25 making it good value for money.

This first came into my collection when I was 16 – it was one of the first I owned and as the marketing blurb says, it does combine being fresh with warmth.

It is light, has a citrus aroma that completely disappears on dry down to an almost sensual spicy fragrance. If you haven’t tried it, you really should.

Just thinking about these fragrances evokes some very fond memories and bottles are replaced before they are even two thirds empty.

I hope you enjoyed my choices and thanks for reading - what are your favourites?

Lush Easter Wishlist

Even though I am a HUGE chocolate fan and love everything there is about Easter, well who doesn't love eating chocolate for breakfast, there are one or two other things that I always have my eye and currently there are a few items from Lush that I rather like the look of and here they are in the form of a wishlist:

1 - The Golden Egg Bath Bomb - said to turn your water gold and is a combination of a Bath Bomb so you get the fizzing and a Bath Melt so you get some luxuriously moisturising oils to make your skin lovely and smooth.  Costs £3.50

2 - The Immaculate Eggception - Another Bath Bomb which comes in either yellow or pink and these are rather special because there is not just one bath bomb there are and when you crack them open you will find either a yellow chick of a white bunny!  Cost £6.95

3 - Rose - This one is a bubble bar and  it is made using Turkish Rose Absolute and promises to create a tonne of bubbles.  Costs £2.95

4 - Secret Garden - A bath bomb which is said to be full of flowers and the scent of spring which will create serene and tranquil bath that will bring you back to life.  Costs £2.95

5 - Bunch of Carrots - These caught my eye because they are quirky and something a little bit different.  Once you have them, you swish one of the carrots around your bath to enjoy soft clouds of bubbles and tropically scented water. They are also said to be reusable bubble bars and do not smell of carrots.  Cost 5.95

If you are not too sure what to buy when going into Lush, there is always an option to get a gift set which will contain a few items to make your options less traumatic.  As it is Easter Lush have two offerings which are:

6 - Funny Bunny - This gift set is sold in a Knot wrap and contains 4 items from the Easter Range and it costs £20

7 - Carrot - This gift set comes in the shape of a carrot which is really quirky and contains 4 products from the Easter range and costs £16.95

Finally:

8 - Madame Butterfly - This is a bubble bar on a stick, anyone who is familiar with the Christmas range will possibly have had one of these already, though in the form of an Angel.  With the bubble bar on a stick, like with carrots, you swish it around in your water as the bath runs and it creates Rose and Lemon scented  bubbles.  Costs £5.25

So there you have a little Lush Easter Wishlist and a nice alternative to chocolate.  Have you tried any of these products?

My Lottery Wishlist

Whenever you buy a lottery ticket, do you ever, whether on paper or in your head come up with a wishlist of things you would buy if you ever won?  I do all the time, I can't help it. The most I have ever won is £1500 and that little win didn't even scratch the surface of my wishlist.

So chatting with some friends of mine on Facebook chat today about lotteries and what they would buy if they won, it amazed me just how many different ways there are to play and win money - Euromillions, Irish Lottery, Health Lottery, Postcode Lottery, National Lottery, Thunderball to name just a few that come to mind.  Friends of mine across the pond play something called Powerball and I asked What is Powerball and was quickly told it is a form of Lottery with prizes starting at $40million dollars (wow).

Like most people my wishlist is huge, the list is endless and obviously I want want to make sure family and closest friends got to share my wealth, but once all of that has been done and dealt with, if money was no object what would I buy? Naturally I would want to go on hliday and one of my dreams is to go back to Las Vegas where beautykinguk and I got married before going on to Reykjavik which I am also really wanting to visit because I want to sit in a hot geyser!  Holidays aside, my wishlist is quite long, but these would be high up on my list:  

Tiffany & Co. Tiffany Soleste Band Ring - A ring with round brilliant white and Fancy Vivid Pink diamonds in platinum and 18k rose gold.  At a mere £11,400 it is unlikely I will ever own this ring unless I do win the lottery, but it is on my wishlist because it is just stunning and I love everything about it.

Canon D600 - Every blogger needs one and this particular camera is one I keep looking at and wishing I could afford to buy it, I have mentioned so many times how poor my photographs are on my blog and how I lust after some other bloggers photos with how fabulous they are - camera, I need you!

Hermes Birkin Bag - Well who doesn't want one? My only problem would be deciding on the colour, would it be a classic black version or something a little more out there and perhaps a coral colour?!

Creme De la Mer Asprey Ultimate Collection gift set - having seen this in Selfridges, the only thing I can say is that it looks amazing and has a price tag to match. I would love to know if this stuff is as good as all the 'celebs' claim it is and if I had the money to do it, I would quite happily work my way through the entire collection and then blog about it!

Jo Malone Signature Collection Gift set - I am dying to try some Jo Malone products and almost every one which has been suggest to me is featured within this gift set, so it would be mine!

Bvlgari moonphase Watch - I love Bvlgari watches they are stunning and I spend hours drooling over them.

Ted Baker Large Blue Cubic Print Flapover Purse - I have loved this purse from the moment I saw it and at £99 I can't quite justify purchasing it, though I do need a new purse as mine is clinging on my mere threads.  I just love everything about this purse from the design, to the zips, to the inside and think it is just fabulous.

*Written in collaboration with Lottoland

Links of London Wish List

Would you like to win £1000?  Well Links of London are holding a competition which you can enter to win £1000 worth of their gorgeous jewellery and I mean gorgeous.  All you have to do is simply create a wishlist of your favourite pieces and write a blog post, like this, which also happens to be my entry.

As you can see I managed to choose just 6 pieces, it was really hard because there are just so many things that I like, but for me, these ones caught my attention the most.

1. Aurora Link Bracelet
Inject the wow factor into you party wardrobe. This Aurora link bracelet combines silver with rose and yellow gold vermeil. Strung on a sterling silver chain, this versatile piece has been designed to be lightweight to wear and features a textured finish which adds a touch of subtle sparkle. Costs £95.00

2. Celeste Rose Gold Wrap Ring
The mystic and celestial qualities of the traditional Native American Indian protective charm are bound up in this delightfully modern Celeste Wrap Ring in 18ct rose gold vermeil. The thinnest threads of diamond-cut glitter wire wrap around the Silver band to echo the web-like construction of the original pieces that were said to capture only the good dreams, while letting the bad ones go.  Costs £180.00

3. Dream Catcher Heart Rose Gold Earrings
With a base of sterling silver, these enchanting stiletto earrings each feature a heart that has been delicately wrapped within a subtle rose gold vermeil web. Featuring a unique glitter finish, these rose gold vermeil earrings will add a sparkle to any outfit. The inspiration behind this collection lies in the Native American dream catcher which protects against nightmares. Wear with other Dream Catcher pieces for double protection. Costs £150.00

4. Hope Rose Gold Plate Ivory Strap Watch
Fine detailing marks out this Hope Rose Gold Coloured Ivory Strap Watch as a modern classic. The traditional shape and form has been remodelled with overlapping asymmetric rings of rose gold coloured plate and a white mother-of-pearl dial. The chic satin effect ivory leather strap holds a watch face of subtle detailing, featuring rose gold coloured plate watch hands and a stylish crystal index at 12 o'clock. Water resistant to 3ATM, this is a must-have everyday accessory.  Costs £295.00

5. Dream Catcher Heart Rose Gold Pendant
This sterling silver heart pendant gets a modern interpretation with a fine web of rose gold vermeil glitter wire. A unique and interesting necklace, the Dream Catcher collection has been inspired by the Native American symbol to protect against nightmares. With a glittery finish, pair this piece with a bracelet and earrings from the same collection for maximum sparkle in your life. Costs £150.00

6. Effervescence Star XS Ring - Rose Gold & White Topaz
Everything is rosy with the Effervescence Star XS Ring in 18ct rose gold and pave white topaz. Each ring features small roundels of resplendent rose gold and white topaz stars. Giving you something different for your jewellery collection, team your new ring with different colours from across our collections to complete your look. This ring is also designed to be layered with others in the collection. Find your favourites and create your own look! Costs £130.00

I think all of these items are simply stunning and would be over the moon to receive any of them on Valentines day!

If you would like to enter this competition is open to the general public, but for more information follow this link http://blog.linksoflondon.com/2014/01/win-valentines-day-list/

Give it a go and remember to hashtag your entry #myvalentinewishlist you might just win yourself an amazing £1000.

What do you think to my choices? Do any of them stand out to you?

Radley Watch - The Perfect Gift!

When the lovely Sara from Pretty In Pink did a post about watches, my 'what to buy my Mum for Christmas' stress was dealt with.

Let me introduce you to a beautiful Radley Watch which I got for the amazing price of £52.49 reduced from £139 from HSamuel. The watch itself is described as being Rose Gold Plated Bracelet, so very in keeping with those 'must have' Rose Gold and a further description is:

"Stylish Radley rose gold plated bracelet watch featuring large white round dial with Radley logo. This on trend style is perfect for work or play".

So already you can see that it comes in this stunning Radley Box and then inside is this soft suede feel box within which the watch sits. The Rose Gold theme is carried on with the packaging which I also really like.  Once the box is open, this is what you get:

So there you have the watch and you can also see what it looks like on my wrist too, it is actually perfectly sized for my wrist and it sits so comfortably, I debated keeping it for myself. 

Do  you have a watch on your wishlist for Santa? Do you like this style of watch?

GUEST POST - Home Deco - Wishlist For A Mini Office

Today we have the lovely Hannah guest posting on my blog.  Hannah is the wonderful lady who is responsible for my blog header!... Over to you Hannah!

Hey Everyone,

When Rachel asked me to guest post on her blog I of course jumped at the chance. Recently I've been thinking a lot about turning an empty corner of my bedroom into a mini office. I'm currently blogging from my sofa or bed (not exactly the most creative or best places to blog). I don't have room anywhere else, and I thought turning that corner of the room into my blogging center would be a great idea. So here's my Office Wishlist:

1. Desk:

This Ikea desk is perfect for the small space I have for my mini office. I choose to keep it white as my room is white, and I'm really liking Home Decor that's white with a pop of colour added through accessories at the moment. You can find this desk HERE! 

2. Cushion:

I chose this cushion to put onto the white desk chair I chose. It adds a more comfy feel to the clinical white, and I chose this one because it reminds me of home and makes me happy. This cushion is from Debenhams and you can find it HERE!  

3. Oh My Deer Print:

I thought a print would brighten up the space and add in more colour. I was looking for an inspirational print but when I saw this I thought it was too cute not to add to this wishlist! You can find it HERE! 

4. Candle:

I think a candle is always something lovely to have in an office to give off a scent and also look pretty. I'm very picky about scents I'm not really fan of most scents either flowery, spicey, or pretty much the majority of scents on the market. I prefer fresh scents like beach walk from Yankee Candle which you can find HERE! 

5. Desk Lamp:

Everyone needs some sort of lighting in their office. I chose this lamp as it is a easy to use adjustable lamp, so great for a desk. It is from Ikea so also really affordable which always helps, you can find it HERE! 

6. Cardboard Letters:

I really want some Letters to use as book ends for all my blogging inspirational books. I would love to get A and Z for the alphabet. I would either paint or get some cool wrapping paper to cover them in! You can find them HERE! 

7. White Swivel Chair:

I think a swivel chair is a necessity for a desk, for all those moments when your bored and spinning around on a chair can give a bit of inspiration. I like this one because it fits in with the desk, it's from Ikea and you can find it HERE! 

8. Magazine Storage Basket:

I find magazines great for keeping up with trends and really inspiring for blog posts, so I like to keep a few of my old favorites and current ones for when I'm feeling stuck in a rut! I think this storage basket is great for keeping them tidy but in keeping with the decor! 

HERE! 

What would you include in your Office? 

Thanks so much to Rachel for having me as a Guest on her lovely blog!