Is it just me, or does it seem like everybody and their kitty’s cousin have their birthday in the latter half of November/mid-December? Are we all a by-product of a steamy night around the dreaded V-Day?I’m born on the final day of November, which means my birthday celebrations usually spill well into the first week of December as well as the ‘pre-birthday’ stuff too. It means I can stuff myself silly with Crazy Pedro’s nacho pizza on December 11 and still use the “it has just been my birthday month” excuse, as well as guzzle prosecco at Bill’s on November 23rd and still use the excuse “it is my birthday month” Basically it is my birthday month up until I say it is not – you got that?
That all being said, it is official: I am now a fully-fledged adult. 21 years of age and all I have done for the past couple weeks is eat my weight in birthday cake (baked by the most handsome man in the world… No, not Cillian Murphy), sip on pints of prosecco, consumed some great live music and danced my lil’ socks off in Gay clubs with my nearest and dearest. Obviously, this Geordie bee couldn’t have her 21st without entering KIKI on Canal Street, MCR and getting MORTAL could she? Let me just say I attempted the worm on the light-up dancefloor and it did not exactly go to plan.
So anyways. Because it has been my birthday month, I’ve been being a lil’ bit spendy. By a lil’ bit spendy I mean I’ve just thrown my whole budget out of the window and thought “fuck it, my twenty-one-year-old self-deserves this”. God, you’d think I’d never bought myself a lipstick before the way I am flaunting it about. So, here are the few things I’ve bought over the course of November… So far.
Tommy Hilfiger Perfume
In my short space of time on this blue planet, I’ve come across two failsafe perfumes which I religiously re-purchase. These include Burberry’s iconic Brit and Tommy Hilfiger’s Tommy Girl. The latter was the first perfume I was ever given and holds the best memories for myself. I reckon I must’ve only been about thirteen, I had just moved out of the big city and into a rural town, and my dad wanted to cheer me up. I probably would have been happy with a bar of choccy, but I am so grateful that I gained Tommy Girl instead. So is my waistline.
Tommy Girl simply smells absolutely divine! The eau de cologne emits tones of tangy citrus juxtaposed with soft herbal notes and apparently allows the wearer to live the American dream. Get in my non-existent pink soft top Ken, we’re going to party! I should maybe mention that I can’t drive?
Tommy Girl by Tommy Hilfiger from Boots.com (£19.99)
Motel Rocks Sample Sale
If you did not know, Motel Rocks happened to slide into my emails a couple moons ago, insisting that everything on their website was £10. I’d put myself on a spending ban until the end of November but look how that has turned out – I’ve bought so much I’m writing some words on how ashamed/impressed I am with myself.
Do you remember when Lizzie McGuire went to Rome and fell in love and ended up singing on stage? What was it that she sang again… “Hey now, hey now – this is what dreams are made of!” Well, that is exactly what the Motel Rocks Sample Sale was fashioned from – dreams.
Almost everything online was listed at only £10 and who can really refuse that? I temporarily banned the spending ban and purchased myself a couple of things I really did not need but really lusted after.
The first thing I picked up was this playful, carnival halterneck crop-top. I always find that because of my large bust, halterneck’s both extenuate and flatter the top half of my body better than perhaps spaghetti straps or thickly ribbed vests. I am also not the skinniest girl in the world (hello massive hips, how you doin’?) so vertical stripes are a big yes, yes, yes from me. I got the crop-top in a size small and I must say my boobs look simply fab. I took it for a spin at the Feel My Bicep night at Warehouse Project a couple weeks ago and I am head-over-heels in love. Not bad for £10.
Also in the Sample Sale, I nabbed this iridescent peach plunge body from Motel Rocks. Now, the colour of this is amazing, the quality faultless however it just does not sit right with me. The bodysuit itself is a bit on the big side (I purchased my usual size of medium) and the side-boob is just a bit too much for my liking considering I cannot remember the last time I went out-out. If full-frontal boasting of your assets and a bit of back action is your thing then baby, this is the body for you!
Makeup
My relationship with makeup is an odd one. I always jealously eye up those gals with the perfect brow or shocking pink eyeshadow but I just cannot pull it off myself. I believe I look better with just a swipe of mascara or a dab of bronzer – my permanently red-cheeks definitely do not need any blusher and I rarely use foundation. Because of this, makeup is never really a top priority for myself.
But shock horror, stop the press, I’ve actually bought makeup for once. No, I didn’t spend hours in Debenhams scouring the beauty counters for the perfect eyeliner to do those cute cat eye flicks – I just did a quick ten minute Boots order and thought, meh. That’ll do pig, that’ll do.
First up is my ride-or-die favourite beauty product in the whole god damn world – the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. Oil-free and lightweight, I swear by this product for when foundation does occasionally grace my face. It is on the pricey side, but it lasts me so God damn long, I can’t even bat an eyelid.
As well from Smashbox, I dipped into my wages and pulled out a wad full of cash which transformed itself into the Limitless Liquid Liner Pen in jet black, as well as a matte lipstick from the ‘Be Legendary’ range – in the colour Safe Word. The liner itself is a lot thicker than I am used to – the Chanel Ligne Graphique De Chanel is my go-to liner, so no wonder – however I love how easy it glides on the lid. I am still no pro, and still a million miles away from successfully completing a perfect wing but I am getting there, and the Smashbox pen is a confidence-boosting product.
The lipstick from the matte range is totally the perfect pink nude. One of the classic Smashbox colours, the pigment in this cruelty-free lipstick is phenomenal. It only takes a swipe of lippy and we are set for the whole day. Unlike other matte lipsticks, this one doesn’t dry lips out. Since using the lipstick, I am definitely looking into purchasing some more products from the Be Legendary range.
So those are some of the treats I have bought myself for my Birthday month. Like the title of this blog admits – I have been a little bit more of a Spendy Wendy than I perhaps should have been. However it is okay to treat yourself once in awhile, right? Wish me luck, my rent is due soon. Beans on toast when you next come round to mine, okay?
Ells x
ELLA LOUISE SCOTT 