Resolution- #Wear Pink Lips and Hot Nails

I think it was Glamour magazine that said red lips will be 'passe' by Valentines Day. And whilst I believe a red like will never be 'passe', I do definitely detect a shift in to the new year and away from the traditionally festive colour. I know it's only January and it's snowing everywhere and all our heating bills are probably going through the roof (!) but a bright pink lip looks so fresh.

I'm really excited for the launch of Maybelline's Vivid Colors collection in February and it's definitely something I'll be getting my chubby little mitts on to review for you.

But in the meantime, to satisfy my hot colours craving, I happened upon this lip duo from Look cosmetics and I love love LOVE it.

This is 'Hyper Melon' a fairly new shade to the collection, so I believe.

The lipstick is around £7 and the lip liner about £4.

 They're a pretty perfect colour match. 
 The lipstick has a really nice creamy consistency but packs a hell of a lot of pigment. 
 The lip liner isn't so drying that you can't wear it alone anyway. 
 I've only worn this combination once so far and it didnt have great staying power, but still left a nice stain on my lips even after dinner and (maybe) a glass or two of wine. 

 I've been wearing it with Barry M Jelly in Grapefruit (YES you get it by now I really like Barry M nail polishes...) which is a bright pink colour, but not as fushcia as it appears in these snaps. 
It's really shiny but annoying I find chips more easily than the standard Barry M range (boo!) But because I love you, Barry M you big cosmetics colour kaleidoscope, I'll deal with it :) 

Resolution #Go crazy for coral

Hands up if you've seen Scar-Jo on the front of Elle magazine this month? I have *obvs* and I think she looks smokin'.
But as well as giving me some serious envy, it's given me some serious style-spiration for all things coral.
And I'm loving this bright Colour Pout Lasting Lipstain from Collection in Flirt. 

This was a spur-of-the-moment lunchtime purchase on one of those bleak and depressing days, but one I'm so glad I made.

I'm loving bright lips for 2013 (the launch of the Maybelline Vivid Color lipsticks is in my diary) and I was on the look-out for a coral- but for £4.99 the staying power of this stuff is much better than I expected. And, unlike other stains I've had before, this isn't drying on the lips.
It's the perfect match for Barry M Nail Paint in Coral. 

  *Excuse the chips, I'm a working girl don'tcha know*
I'm teaming these with a subtle tan courtesy of St Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Body Moisturiser to stop it from looking too harsh on my pale skin.

Resolution- #Bring on the brights!

Floral and brights are soooo S/S13, don'tcha know, dahhling. 
But why wait five months to rock the trend? It's f*in freezing out there (hands up who's currently cocooned in a mountain of layers with heating on full-blast?!) so I'm bringing the sunshine in to my life with these bargainous beauts. *Queue pretentious photograph that I want to look effortless but probably took about two hours to get right and even now looks a bit ridiculous*

These trews (look at me using the cool words) are from George at Asda and cost a tiny £3.50 at the end of last year. They're a thin material so will do fine for summer but can be worn all year round layered up. Whilst in summer I'd probably pair them with some gladiator sandals and a t, I wanted to toughen them up for winter with my New Look biker boots- another steal at just £14. 
This time last year, I never thought I'd have the balls to wear either of these things, but now I've got them on, I realise they're not that out there, are they? Biker boots are such a good way to toughen up a girly dress and these trousers add a bit of colour to what otherwise is the most miserable time of the year.
So today's #Resolution is to dare to wear. Oh and also to stock up on more bright pieces because I can't wait for summer! And this year, tired of the 'heat wave dread' where you have nightmares as the weather starts hotting up and you know it's just a matter of time before you have to expose the world to your mountainous lumps and bumps, I'm getting prepared. I'm shaping up physically, but most importantly, mentally. It's time to banish those body woes and bring on the brights! 

Resolution #Grab a next season bargain and look forward to Spring!

It was one of those 'get it or regret it moments', okay?!
I know a lot of people are saying they didn't think the January sales were that great but I found so many things...which I bought...and have ever since been suffering from the old fashion excitement/ over-spending guilt we all know and love. 
Major shop aside, I had a little time to calm down (and breathe in to a paper bag) before, on a casual lunchtime, I decided to meander in to Peacocks. 
To be honest with you, it's not somewhere I usually shop but the times I have, I've found a bargain or two (fur stole- check). I fell in love with this scarf. You know, because my scarf collection isn't quite big enough. I think the original price of £12 was a little much, but for £6 you can't really go wrong- especially given the size of the thing. 
I also picked up this tribal-esque print top which will be great in the summer and these leather strip trouser/ leggings, of which I can't seem to get enough. They're pretty much a wardrobe staple for me because they go with everything and can be dressed up or down (I'm sure there will be numerous OOTDs to follow) and for £5 I didn't think you could go wrong. 
But the item (or items, I should say) which got me most excited were these tan ankle boots. 
Call me over-enthusiastic, but I often find this season is a great time to pick up next season's wardrobe wonders. 
I like to think about my overall 'look' for a season and what items I want to pick up to add to my staples for up-to-date looks.
And if it were spring, I doubt I would have have got these babies for a bargainous £12. 

*Boots- £12, Scarf (seen at bottom middle pic) £6, leather strip treggings £5, Aztec print top £5)*
My photos don't do this justice, so keep reading until spring to see me style them up! :) 

Resolution #Do the whole 'hat' thing

*Queue photo looking suitably pose-y and pretentious*

Today I am channeling my inner Mills Mack and going all hat n' fur. I often wish I had the guts to be a hat person...or even a big hair accessory person, you know, like a huge f* off bow...
But with this blog being what it is, it's time to turn those wishes in to reality (as banal as they might be).
Both these items were a bargain- the hat is a charity shop find and cost about £2 and the fur stole (I literally hankered after one of these all last winter) was about £3 in the Peacocks sale. It's not a shop I usually remember but the few times I've moseyed around have produced some gems. 
I just love the fact you can throw this stole over a mouldy old tee if you want (okay, maybe not very mouldy) for an instant bit of glam. 

Unless you do this face, of course. 

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Resolution #Have a Bit of Sparkle

Why does there have to be a 'Party Season'? Why can't we have a year-round party?
Yes, I know why- because we'd all be constantly hungover and the economy would grind to a halt (I ask you, is this not the situation we already face?)
Whilst it might not be practical to have a year-round festive feeling, today's Resolution is to add a touch of sparkle to the mundane.
I bought this little bag a while ago during one of my 'I need a cheap pick me up' lunch time Primark meanders. (Oh life before January 1, 2013, how I miss you).
At only £2, you can't really go wrong. And even if all the sparkles fall off, you're still left with a cute bag you can customise with your own choice of sparkly things.
So today's aim is to whack it out more often (the bag, dirty minds, not my private bits) and defeat the new-year blues with a bit of glitz.

Resolution #Be something other than red

I might be sad, but I like a woman with a painted toe. Or toes, I should say. One painted toe and I'd think she's a bit of a weirdo.
Life is stressful and there's not always time to blow your nose, let alone look groomed 24/7. But I think there's something nice about a woman who's been rushed off her feet all day and comes in the front door all dishevelled and takes of her shoes to reveal painted toes. It just says 'see, I might have crap in my hair and tears in my eyes, but I'm a glamour puss really' doesn't it? Does it? Maybe I'm just weird.
Anyway, ever since I was about 18, I've religiously painted my toenails red.
This is for a number of reasons namely a) red's my favourite colour b) it looks nice on your toes and c) it's the lazy girl's way of maintening some glamour. I'm just gonna put it out there, I am not ashamed, let's be honest girls...sometimes...you. just. can't. be. bothered.
Sometimes it's enough that we have full-time jobs and bills to pay and a diet to maintain and a gym to get to and a friend's birthday party and family to visit...and amongst it all, we still want to look lovely.I'm not going to get in to a debate about society and my god I'm not one to talk, as a self-confessed fash-a-holic. But it's kind of expected of us, isn't it? So when your toe polish has chipped mid-week, you just want a quick, no-nonsense tidy up to make yourself look and feel a little bit glamourous again. And red is the perfect colour for quick touch-ups.
But today's #Resolution is to stop being lazy and start experimenting with colours on my toes. Coloured nails are a sure-fire way to try the new trends without looking a) jaundinced b) bruised or c) just plain ridiculous. Plus, it's a bleak January and it might be quite nice to look down at my feet and see a little bit of sunshine or a dash of spring colour.

Resolution #Remain moist

That sounds so, so wrong.

But Christmas has gone and left in its wake is partied-out skin and cold, bleak winter days.

But underneath my stylish layers, you can rest assured you won't find crackly old skin.

That's because today's Resolution is to stop dryness in it's tracks with a quality moisturiser.

This is one of those daily rituals that can turn in to a bit of a chore.

So this year I'm stocking up on quality, like the Body Shop Body Butters, to give me an actual reason to want to take my clothes of....

Resolution #1 Start as you mean to go on

 

 

I've made a lot of resolutions in my time. And, as you can probably imagine considering I've had to make a blog to ensure I stick to them, I've failed in the past. Miserably.

The cut back on chocolate plan wasn't exactly a winner. In 2010, 2011 or 2012.

The 'no wine' went out the window after a stressful day at work last January 3.

And the less that can be said about 'must get more sleep and not stay up til the early hours watching trash TV', the better.

But resolution #1 of The Style Resolutions is to stick to my resolutions.

I guess it should actually be to finish all the chocolate by midnight tonight so I can wake up for a healthy new start tomorrrow...which is what I'm doing right now. Eating and typing- thAat's multitasking right there.

Anyway, in the spirit of what this blog is about, I thought resolution #1 would post some pics of the clothes I WILL be rocking in 2013. This is mainly an exercise in scaring myself. *Puts the chocolate away*