Spontaneous Shopping Spree September 2013

It would be fair to say I did a big shop this Thursday. After being off work for a long time due to illness I found out that I could now go back, this was good enough to convince my Mum to loan me the money for a mini spree - she regretted it straight after. Apart from the MAC Retro Matte Fixed on Drama lipstick and the Illamasqua Mystery Selection I didn't unpack my bags until today (Sunday). This isn't down to laziness instead I've spent the last 48 hours forgetting exactly what I bought so that I could get the same euphoric feeling I experienced when I first found these choice pieces. Overly dramatic maybe but shopping is fun, right?

So the rest of this post will be less talk more photo.

H! by Henry Holland green flecked coat from Debenhams £85.00

Most people that know me would be shocked that I have finally bought a coat. Even though I live somewhere fairly cold and snowy, I don't usually bother, I have recently got myself a waterproof jacket for hikes and wet runs but not a proper coat. I wasn't even thinking about a coat but when I saw this I fell in love. Green happens to be my favourite colour and I prefer retro style clothes, so this 60's style coat had to be purchased. Over the years when I haven't had a coat I have seen nothing that has swept me off my feet like this coat which makes it very special.

Eye Brow Cake in Thunder £15.50,  Nail Varnish in Prism £6.75 on sale in Debenhams & Intense Lipgloss in Hermetic £6.50 on sale in Debenhams

Next stop was the Illamasqua counter, it's hard to be reserved when it comes to Illamasqua. I fell in love with the liquid metal which led to me buying the Mystery Selection box mentioned in this post. I couldn't resist buying a few sale items and then they made my eyebrows look like this:

Photo taken around 8 hours after the make-up was applied

This led to me buying the eye brow cake, fingers crossed I can recreate the look myself. I didn't opt for the brush as well as I've recently bought a large brush collection though not a very expensive one, the 24 brush set was cheaper than the one Illamasqua brush. The plan is if none of my brushes are as good, I could really feel the quality, I'll go back and purchase - sensible, me? shocking I know!

Next step was the MAC counter which I covered here. Moving on!

Topshop was my next stop. It's the only shop that has a tall section that I feel I can rely on - unfortunately I found nothing there but there were plenty of sale items to choose from.

Both by Tee & Cake at Topshop long sleeved £7.00, short sleeved £10.00

I love the work of the late Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and also the designs of the skateboarding company Santa Cruz and these tops from Tee & Cake have a similar style. This sort of thing is more of the sort of clothes I like all year, any year, any time - I can't believe I didn't see them before but am relieved I managed to pick them up in the sale.

Quilted Sweatshirt £26.00

 Another sweatshirt to add to my collection, I always love a casual sweatshirt over a slightly fancier or at least patterned skirt. I wish they would have had a version in tall but it is at least plenty long enough on my sleeves.

Green Top £16.00

I wanted something a bit dressy in my wardrobe and green is my go to colour. I plan to wear it over a black dress with plenty of gold chains.

Floating Hearts Bodycon dress £10.00

Another Topshop item in the sale, it is a bodycon dress but I bought it a size bigger as I want to wear it loose with layers.

Matte Nails in Brutal

 I've neglected to look at the nail varnish in Topshop for a while so made the effort to browse this time. There were a few that stood out but decided to be good and just picked up the one above as I knew I couldn't do without this colour this winter. I added a quick two coats as an example so excuse the messiness of it a super colour, it is matte but it wasn't quite dry in the photo. It has reignited my love for Topshop nail varnish, half the price of others of similar quality. If there was a Topshop in my town I'd possibly end up with every shade.

Slinky Rib Ankle Socks 3 for £8

I always pick up socks from Topshop, there is always something I like and thankfully they are always on offer. Rather than a variety I went for the same style of sock in different colours.

Next stop Urban Outfitters

BDG Boyfriend Tee £15 each - 2 for £25 online - it wasn't offered in store

I kind of prefer shopping at Urban Outfitters online, I tend to buy more and also pick up more bargains. I already have the grey t-shirt but have worn it out so I picked up another one in a smaller size along with the red version.

Leopard print slouchy cropped jumper £20

Some people might think I can get a bit Bet Lynch-esque at times but I love all animal print. This jumper was half the price it once was and I could already see myself wearing it over a long black dress with a pair of Vans slip-ons.

£1.99 each

I can't go passed a Lego store without picking up at least a little something, there were plenty of Halloween bits and sets that I don't have from the Monster Fighter collection I could have wasted a ton of money there but I was good and just picked up a few packs of the mini figures.

£39.50

Now we're at Victoria's Secret - I'm not going to show the bra in full just the beautiful detailing in the middle. I've lived in crop tops for a while but while out shopping I realised I needed better support. The sweet smell coming from Victoria's Secret drew me in and before I knew it I was being measured for a new bra. I spent 4 times the usual amount on the bra but for something that fits me perfectly but is still as comfortable as a crop top it really was worth it. I opted for a plain black but when I've got down to my ideal size I'll be back in for some more fun bras in fun colours. I can't actually remember which bra I went for and the online site it really just for the US which is why I haven't linked to it, the one I purchased is either Body by Victoria Demi or Flawless Demi - I can't find it online to verify!

A quick trip to the lanes to stock up on Big Red chewing gum - I love cinnamon and have been addicted to this gum for around 16 years, even though it costs a little more I'm so glad it is easy to pick up these days. I also had a quick look around Xtras but only picked up the one item.

By this point I was sore and exhausted so I picked up my pretzels and then had two scoops of gelato, one banana and one lemon - this picked me up enough to blast through H&M (via Bank).

BLONDE & BLONDE  Acid Wash Pencil Skirt £22.00

I spied the skirt whilst sat eating gelato. I love stretchy skirts that sit below my knees although not all are quite long enough. This skirt is made from a  thick, stretchy material and is plenty long enough- it may look like I bought a similar one from H&M but I consider this my fun, weekend skirt and the other for work.

Checked shirt £14.99 (exact one not online) & Grey Jersey Skirt £7.99 (again not the exact one)

I love a checked shirt, I have done since I was a teenager so I'm always looking to add a new one to my collection, I'd seen similar ones in Urban Outfitters but I was after something cheaper and H&M delivered. The skirt is mainly an update to my work wardrobe, I'm still a bit sore in the areas of incision on my abdomen so I wanted something loose but fairly long without trailing the ground.

Black jersey dress £12/99

The final item I purchased from H&M and the final item I purchased that day, apart from a few frozen food items from Holland and Barrett. Another item I can't find online! I wanted something casual, comfy and slouchy for winter and this dress will do the job. Plain so I can layer with colour or pattern, loose because I really can't wear ultra tight clothing and cheap to boot.

So that concludes my shopping spree.