Before BADgal…

After hearing various friends raving about Benefit’s BADgal Lash mascara, and having recently declared my tube of Bourjois ‘Liner Effect’ officially empty, I felt that it was about time I gave my lashes a dose of something new! They say that behind every good man is a great woman, behind every great fortune is a crime (I’ve never heard that one before, admittedly…!) and, now, it seems to be that behind every good blogger is the best friend who’s ready with that great little tip off when items from our Lust Lists become available as freebies; boom! My dedicated freebie-tracking, Coupon Queen pal, Sian, spotted BADgal Lash on my Sunday Lust List a couple of weeks back, and kindly informed me that Glamour magazine was once again honouring us with an array of sample size Benefit goodies, to add to our already undoubtedly overflowing make up bags. Bargain!

I don’t really do ‘Beauty’ posts on the blog, and I also can’t pretend to know anything all that much about beauty products and make up… but I do think a good honest before-and-after test is always a good way to spread the word if a product really is all that, and with all this semi-ridiculous post-production madness that they seem to do on mascara adverts these days, I thought it’d be good to show you the real deal so you can judge properly whether you want to buy a tube for yourself!

It may not make your lashes look like epic, long raven feathers, nor will it magically double your lash count either, in the same way that CGI/special-effect-virtual-reality mascara can… but BADgal is bang on if you’re looking for a some extra impact around the eye area, and with a few coats you can achieve something unclogged but dramatic, as you can see! I got to four coats (on the top lashes, three on the bottom) without any kind of cloggging occuring, and could’ve probably taken it a bit further too, but for a natural-ish day look, two would suffice and one coat does make a noticeable difference, too : )

I definitely think that BADgal deserves the Cherry Humbug ‘Seal of Approval’; if you want to see for yourself, as I said, you can pick up a copy of Glamour magazine for £2 and try it for yourself! Not bad at all. I’ll be picking up a few more copies before the month is out, that’s for sure!

Because everybody knows that there’s nothing like the addition of a few bargains to add some serious sass to your summer wardrobe, the lovely ladies over at Motel Rocks have once again treated the readers of Cherry Humbug to an exclusive sneak preview of the summer sale, that begins officially next Wednesday! That means that you, yes you, have almost a week’s head start on everyone else, and can get first pick of the sale items in order to make sure that you snap up those favourite pieces before anyone else… not bad going, right?!

Simply pick out your favourite items from the Exclusive Summer Sale, drop them into your basket, and apply the fabulous 50% off code in at the end! Enjoy!

Scalloped Edge Tank Top Pilot
Velvet Skater Skirt Primark
Kitty Flats and Baroque Sunglasses eBay

Not one to be content with staying inside on beautiful sunny days, my friends Sian, Jodie,and I headed up to Rochester Castle to lounge about on the green that overlooks the River Medway, wanting to soak up a little sun and Vitamin D, and  generally make the most of the weather, because as you fellow Brits will know, there is no certainty about anything weather elated over here – and I’m glad we did, as the weather has been having crazy mood swings ever since! I find it a little bit mad that I haven’t spent more time up at the castle during my time at university in Kent, because I love being outdoors, and its an honour to live so close to such a beautiful, historic building; but then it makes sense, as I am mainly here for the winter months, and back in my home county of Somerset for the summer!

When I first started what I, at the time, called ‘photography’ I ended up overusing black and white (along with everyone else in my photography class, no doubt!) and have been a bit scared of it for a while now. But I want to keep the blog interesting, and I really like the way the greyscale shows up the crosses on my top, and the texture of my velvet skirt, plus… I haven’t had internet in my house for the week which means I’ve had much more time to fuss over my images in Photoshop, haha.

I will be moving back to Somerset properly soon, now that my time at university is over! This means that you can expect a post soon, with more shots on the place I have called my half-home for the last three years – it’d be a shame not to, whilst I’m still here, as there are some great little old fashioned shops up Rochester High Street that deserve some attention. The pictures I took of the castle itself on this particular day were a little bit too snap happy, and didn’t really capture the beauty of the castle to its full potential, which is why I haven’t put any up this time! Probably because we were more concerned with lazing about on the grass before the breeze got too chilly, but nonetheless, I’m eager to do some proper snapping another day so you will get to have a better peak at the castle in the next few days, no doubt : )

1. I went to stay with Carrie last week, and whilst I was there this Topshop skirt arrived in the post for her. I’m a sucker for any kind of animal themed item, as I have said before, and have seen this print on trousers before – so I was quite excited by the prospect of a skirt in the same print. From what I’ve seen, it looks as if it’d be really comfortable and would be a great lightweight item for summer… as if I need any more excuses to want to buy it!

2. When it comes to shoes, I never really wear heels in the day because I walk so fast, and when I’m in heels it frustrates me that I can’t power along in the way I usually would! I think its true to say that these Vans are pretty popular at the moment, but that doesn’t really bother me, and I’d still like a pair for myself in this nice bright turquoise shade. I used to live in my Converse when I was younger, but since I got a bit curvier and started wearing skirts more often, I don’t really feel like they suit me anymore; because the Vans are more like the bog standard canvas shoes that I’ve had before from Primark, I think they would work well with the little skirts I wear!

3. Because it isn’t always about practicality, and because I’m still looking for a new pair of go-to-heels, now that my usual wedges are falling apart… I’m kind of in love with these ones from Boohoo. I love a good colourblock and think these colours are just splendid!

4. Lipstick is a definite staple for me at the moment in terms of my daily make up look, and now summer’s coming along I’m fancying something a little bit lighter and fresher looking than the usual shades of vibrant reds and purples I favour. I think this Rimmel one, that is part of the Kate Moss collection, would be quite nice just to add a bit of a pearlescent shine for the summer.

5. If perfumes were only a few pounds a bottle, I guarantee you that I would have a room full of them at home! Unfortunately, in reality, that isn’t the case, so really, I can only buy a new scent every now and then – and even then, I always end up asking for a bottle for Christmas instead of buying it myself. ‘Flowerbomb’ by that fabulously handsome duo, Viktor and Rolf, is one of my definite favourites that I don’t currently own, and I do enjoy a nice spritz whenever I see it in a shop. Hopefully I’ll own a bottle for myself, soon!

6. This little fishy is someone who really struck me senseless when I visited the Butler and Wilson store last week. At £498, he is more than a little out of my price range, but hey, that’s what lust lists are all about, right? I would love to be able to carry him in my hand, alongside my new goldfishy friend ring, that I bought on my visit – I think having the two would catapult me into my own little under the sea (everybody sing with me now, under the sea!) dream world!

7. I spotted this top in Therapy by House of Fraser when I visited Bluewater earlier in the week, and really wish the price had been reduced further so I could’ve bought it. With an RRP of £28, and even with the reduction to £14, I still felt it was a little pricey considering that the fabric is quite flimsy, and that essentially its quite a plain t-shirt. I know that probably makes me seen really stingey, but I like to be careful that I’m spending my money on the right things, for the right price, which I don’t think is a bad thing! Who knows, maybe it will come to me some day through a charity shop : )

To the undiscerning eye, this photograph looks like any other outfit post, outside any other house… but in true keeping with the essence of the magical world that JK Rowling has created, you have to be in on the secret to know that I am in fact standing outside number 4 Privet Drive; home to the infamous Dursley family, and temporary residence of Mr Harry Potter! No biggie.

Infact, this was kind of a biggie. Having spent the majority of my childhood and teenage years falling in love with the books, films, and of course, the characters, being able to spend a day looking around the sets at the Warner Bros Studio Tour really was a dream come true! I’m aware of how cheesy that sounds by the way, but I think the fellow HP fans out there, at least, will let me off because they probably share the same sentiment!

You might remember the exquisite centrepiece above from the Yule Ball scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – it really does go to show the incredible amount of work that goes into creating set pieces that may only feature in the film for a few minutes or so! I was particularly impressed and excited buy the idea of one day having something similar in my house, for party and entertainment purposes… that’s if I ever get a house (or castle… ooh!) big enough to fit it in, of course!

Being able to look inside sets such as Hagrid’s Hut, the Gryffindor Common Room, and Umbridge’s Ministry of Magic Office, as well as being able to step onto the Knight Bus, and sit inside the flying car that Harry and Ron smuggled themselves into Hogwarts in, in their second year of Hogwarts was a real delight – and being able to take photographs with them made it that much more fun! Also, I found myself eyeing up some of the dresses in Luna Lovegood’s costume rail (that girl has great taste!) and am somewhat compelled to try to recreate a couple of the garments at home on my sewing machine, so I too, can pretend I’m going along to a Slug Club party!

Needless to say, the experience wouldn’t have been complete without trying some Butterbeer, which I found to be delicious! Carrie and Miguel didn’t quite agree with me on this, which meant that I got more than a taster, and ended up drinking their share as well, yummy! I’ll have my wizard robes in XXL please? Luckily, despite its name, Butterbeer is non-alcoholic – had it been otherwise the rest of the tour could’ve gone a little differently!

I don’t want to give too much away, because I know how excited I was about going… but one of my favourite parts of the tour was seeing the Hogwarts Castle 23:1 scale model! I actually found myself a little choked up, firstly because it was so beautiful, and secondly because Hogwarts has come to mean so much to so many of us! Also, with the addition of some lovely lighting and music from the films, it really added to the experience and definitely made me appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into turning the books into a kind-of reality for us to enjoy.

And even if you take nothing else away from it, I guarantee you will have a blast looking around the gift shop at the end! Nothing spells Potter fever quite like the uncontrollable urge to spend all of your money on frog shaped chocolates, light-up plastic broomsticks, and various Gryffindor memorabilia. Also, the fact that three 21 and 22 year olds could be jealous of children playing with their £25 a pop wands, was enough proof for me that we are well and truly in over our heads when it comes to our slightly-nerdy, borderline obsessive love for Harry Potter… but also, that we wouldn’t want it any other way, because our lives so far have been a lot more magical for it!

P.S Thanks to Miguel for being our tireless photographer for the day, and to both he and Carrie for letting me use a few of their pictures after my camera died!

Since one of my best friends, Jodie, introduced me to London based jewellery brand Butler and Wilson back in my first year at university, I have fallen head over heels in love with the loud, sparkly, colourful aesthetic that the brand exudes! Since then, I have been positively itching to get my hands on something for myself; my Sunday Lust Lists are a testament to this, as their collections are never short of pieces that I would gladly and proudly add to my jewellery box. When my mum and I stumbled upon Butler and Wilson pieces in a small boutique in Wells, in my home county of Somerset, she too was dazzled by the affordable extravagance that was on show, and sweetly offered to buy me something as a graduation present, which needless to say I was thrilled about!

Here are my picks… aren’t they wonderful?! I have been wearing both pieces every day since I bought them; even if they don’t particularly match my outfits, that seems to come secondary to wanting to exhibit my new bling! The goldfish ring was featured in my first ever Lust List which I posted almost a year ago, and which I never quite managed to forget about, so when I found the last one in the colour I liked, sitting there (in my size, it was fate!) amongst its fellow jewelled creatures, I couldn’t say no. The butterfly also really reminded me of the ring from my last Lust List, which I fell in love with immediately… there was no way I could resist a blown up, magnified version of this! I’m a sucker for unashamedly loud necklaces, too.

The South Molton Street store was pretty much my idea of heaven; the sparkliest store in London, I’m sure, and not unlike a magical grotto full of delightfully quirky and opulent treasures. In fact, I’m surprised I didn’t have a heart attack on entering, and the thrill was also doubled with the prospect that I could actually buy something! If glitz is your thing, I would highly urge you to visit the store, just off of Bond Street (there is another on Fulham Road, too) if you’re ever in the area – you won’t regret it!

One of the many wonderful things about Butler and Wilson is the pricing; the sparkle:£ ratio is really impressive, so if you’re looking for flashy looking jewels on a budget, this is the place to go! Besides Cherry Humbug, of course… haha : ) in fact, I like to think of Cherry Humbug as the place to go if you can’t quite afford to get your paws on slightly pricier brands like Butler and Wilson and Tatty Devine just yet… but more on that later!

1. I have been a firm fan of Butler and Wilson for a few years now, and when I spotted these dazzling beauties in a little shop in Wells a few weeks ago, I fell in love! A little bit out my price range perhaps, but that doesn’t have to stop me dreaming of them, right?!

2. This dress is a pink, sparkly, princessy dreaaam! I missed out on wearing these kinds of dresses when I was little, because I was such a fiend when it came to pretty outfits – as my poor mum can vouch for! Nonetheless, I would absolutely love to pair this up with the other accessories in this Lust List, and head off to a fun summer ball – a girl can dream 🙂

3. Ever the mermaid wannabe, I would love to be able to carry my essentials around in this cute little Zara Rhodes seashell clutch – perfect!

4. I seem to forever be on the hunt for the perfect heels – practicality always comes above looks when it comes to shoes, for me, which is always what stops me making that purchase; I am currently Carrie and Lucy’s house, which is full of pretty shoes, and am having some serious shoe envy, which is making me increasingly eager to update my collection!

5. I am currently starting to get a little bored of my usual smokey eye look for evenings out, and felt that some fun variation could come in the form of this forest green shade by Bourjois! I am very much an aesthetic-led kind of girl, and have always really loved the packaging of the Bourjois little Round Pots; I’m surprised that I don’t have more of them in my make up bag!

6. After having my last mascara on the go for round about a year, it has finally given up on me, sob sob! I’m always a little cynical as to whether mascaras can realllly be that different, brand to brand, but I’ve been hearing good things about Bad Gal Lashes by Benefit, and would like to give it a go sometime.

7. WOWWWW. This ring is too amazing for words! I’m hoping to be able to buy myself a little graduation treat in the next month or so, and this is currently top of my wish list! At around £30 I think that its pretty reasonable too – I can’t wait to pair it up with some of my favourite summer outfits : )