REVIEW: Clinique Chubby Stick

I've been lusting over the Clinique Chubby Sticks for a while, so imagine my delight when I spied them as a wee freebie in the August issue of Glamour - absolutely delighted!

I got the Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Woppin' Watermelon. It's a really pretty pink colour, quite subtle and ideal for summery days, adding a hint of colour to your lips. You can apply it in a thin layer or build it up for a more intense colour to take you to night.

As well as being oh-so-pretty-and-pink it's also really moisturing and lovely. It is described as a balm which I much prefer to a gloss as it feels much nicer on your lips and I prefer a more matte look and it's good for your smackers too! It's filled with shea butter, mango seed butter and jojoba seed oil so is ideal in that it protects and hydrates your lips, keeping them healthy and kissable.

The formula means it is really light and doesn't sit heavily on your lips and goes on really smoothly. I would say that perhaps it's not got the best staying power out of all the lip products that I've tried, but it does leave lips slightly stained with a bit of colour and touch-ups are so easy. The winding crayon-like application means you can slick it on anywhere and everywhere.

They come in 18 different shades and can all be layered up and blended to make a unique lip colour and I just want to buy loads and loads and have a special shade hiding at the bottom of every handbag - the Queen of the Chubby Sticks has not lost her crown and now that I've tried one out I wouldn't hesitate to treat myself with another.

I have been hunting like a crazed woman for another copy of Glamour with the Strawberry colour, but so far no luck - newsagents I'm coming for you...

Simply Does It...

You can't beat a simple white shirt.

It's simple, chic and creates a polished look - what could be more classic than a white shirt!

A white shirt should be an essential in any wardrobe, it can be so versatile, easily worn for a casual daytime look (like this one!) or dressed up with a pencil skirt or tailored trousers and some amazing statement jewellery at night. It's a pretty easy look to create and is an outfit that you don't even need to think about.

This is a favourite of mine. The textured and woven detail on the front, paired with the shoulder and cuff detail makes it really pretty and adds a bit more to the plain shirt. The lightweight linen is perfect for balmy summer days and once it's buttoned up, tucked-in and the sleeves rolled up it's more than perfect for summer drinks in the sunshine.

I'm a little bit in love with my new slip-on sneakers. The style kinda makes you think of 'skater-dudes' and grungey 90s - and I'm not going to lie, I had a pair of Vans complete with flying-pig decorations back in the day - but we've all moved on. They were spied on some of the feet of fashions biggest hot-shots and have been popular on the high street since Spring, the fact that they're both stylish and comfortable really does help the obsession.

These little gems were snapped up in the Topshop sale for a mere £7 - a bargain if you ask me! I love the plaid pattern, I usually go for plain coloured shoes, but the check slip-ons add a new element to my shoe collection, which I love.

I layered up some gold necklaces, the orange one was another Topshop sale buy - I love it when Topshop jewellery goes on sale and I have to restrain myself from clearing the load out. The other necklace was a present from the BF and it a golden love knot with a circle of gems added in.

Some jeans rolled up finishes off the look perfectly! Now get to the beer garden!

Shirt - Zara
Jeans - Miss Selfridge
Slip-on Sneakers - Topshop
Orange gem necklace - Topshop
Love Knot necklace - DKNY

Tea is a Cup of Life

At the weekend I went on a little jaunt up to Aberdeen.

My little sister studies up in Aberdeen and it's a lovely city to visit. Around the Uni area the cobbled streets and old buildings are really pretty and on a sunny day you can't beat a trip to the beach. There's also some really sweet, little cafes and of course, at the minute, some great sale shopping.

This look was pulled together with a number of wardrobe pieces that everyone has - a plain grey tee, blazer, scarf and light denim jeans. And it all looks just lovely when popped on for a Saturday filled with shopping, gossip and tea.

The blazer is a really nice long-line cut with an angled-collar. The textured body adds a little more detail to it and the light-weight sleeves are ideal for warmer weather. I think a white blazer should have a spot in everyone's closet and it doesn't have to look too businessy teamed with light-wash jeans. A grey-speckled t-shirt can also be worn with anything and everything and helps to keep the look casual with the blazer.

A brightly coloured scarf with a gorgeous pattern is ideal draped around your neck and some brown summer sandals look perfect - and voila!

We went to this adorable cafe called Cup, it was decked out with dainty, flowery and pretty crockery and sayings to live by such as - 'Tea is a cup of life'. It was a bit of a humid, hot day so we went for some ice tea, I had Green Mango and Peach and it was delicious. It's always a bit of a novelty when the timer runs out and you can pour the boiling fruity tea into the ice and let it melt into a refreshing juice - delish.

We filled our bellies with some delicious sandwiches and it was time to hit the shops! I picked a few sale bargains - so keep your eyes peeled for them in the next post!

After exhausting ourselves rifling through the sale racks and in and out of changing rooms, it seemed that the only cure for some weary sisters was some tea and scones.


We ended up in a delightfully french-styled cafe - Patisserie Valerie - and ordered some tea and treats for us. The Earl Grey and Blueflower tea was delicious and had a lovely floral taste to it, definitely one to add to the tea cupboard. We piled cream and jam onto the fruit scones while we compared purchases and chatted all before I left for the train back to G-town.

A great little Saturday away in Aberdeen is a great break - not just cos my lovely little sister is there, but it does help.

Blazer - Primark
T-Shirt - Primark 
Jeans - H&M
Shoes - Primark
Scarf - H&M

REVIEW: Arran Aromatics Ultimate Fig Candle

How gorgeously luxurious is this candle!

I got a set of two candles as a present, but decided to burn the Ultimate Fig one first. I love Arran Aromatics products, but had only ever smelt the candles in shops, so was intrigued to see if they lived up to all my other favourites now that I had some at home.

And, of course, they did!

This one is from the Parfumeur Collection, with a fragrance described as a "dense greenery of cassis and dried fruity notes of fig with a mellow cedar floral back note" and the Ultimate Fig, really is lovely. It is an indulgent fragrance that is exclusive, coming from their very own perfumer.


The amazing aroma swells around the room and isn't overpowering, but also isn't indistinct enough to not be able to smell it. In a way it's almost like a multi-layered and complex perfume, rather than a simple scented candle, with the smell staying around for ages after. The Arran Aromatics philosophy of "fragrance first" is definitely evident.

A candle in a room really does make a difference, I like to think it makes me more of a grown-up, I ain't a student anymore! It creates a lovely atmosphere in the room with the simple glow of candlelight and is described as conjuring up "warmth, relaxation, romance, nostalgia and intimacy". It just makes a room a little bit more special with a gorgeous candle flickering in the corner of the room.

The simple white candle sits in an pretty decorated glass jar, the heavy glass does add even a little bit more of a luxurious feel to it and just makes the beautiful smell even more indulgent.  With it's very own matched popped into the box the candle also has a burn time of up to 40 hours, so it will last me a while as well!

Arran Aromatics candles are really indulgently lovely and are well worth investing in.

Arty Pants

I spent Saturday taking in some lovely new art work in a quaint little gallery.

So I'm sorry I've got them out again - but I'm back to my fail-safe stripes and favourite skinny black jeans, if it ain't broke don't fix it and all that jazz! Sounds simple enough, but with loads of little details added on top two wardrobe-staples can be made into a brand new outfit.

This sheer waistcoat was a vintage find at a festival six years ago and adds some pretty detail to the top. The embroidered collar makes it a lovely and even a little ladylike addition to any look. To add a bit of something different this Coco & Cleo White Pentagon Cluster necklace gives the outfit some angular detail and breaks up the striped top.

Snake-skin shoes and a beautiful leather bag with a burst of bright orange make all the little additions to the outfit complete and I'm ready to go and wish my artistic talent goes beyond stick-men!

The new show put together by Art Pistol, was called 15° and celebrated 15 new graduate artists from all over Scotland. It was great to see new artists getting a chance to exhibit their work and some had very interesting stories - especially the work of Glasgow School of Art graduates who had to battle a major setback with the tragic fire. But, it was an afternoon of  positivity and lovely too see the amazing selection of pieces.

For the first time Art Pistol also displayed some jewellery and a whole load was added to my wish list! There was some gorgeous rings made out of silver and porcelain, all with amazing details and I adored the silver textured cuff. I feel like I need one of the statement rings that were there! The glittering rings stood out with the gold designs added to them - simply stunning.


Art Pistol has a lovely little gallery on the charming Cresswell Lane and when I popped along on Saturday to see the show I wasn't disappointed with what I found. The walls were filled with all styles of art-work. From the amazingly colourful to the fantastically detailed, everything was beautiful - the gin too was pretty delightful!

One of the highlights of the afternoon was seeing an artists face completely light up as a visitor purchased one of his pieces, as he grinned in disbelief - completely chuffed with his first exhibit in a gallery.

It's a brilliant gallery in a charming setting and definitely worth a visit. 

Top - New Look
Jeans - Topshop
Waistcoat - Vintage stall at a festival
Shoes - Next
Bag - A lovely little holiday present
Necklace - Coco & Cleo