Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Jewellery
Eclectic Eccentricity Giveaway
17
7 years
After the success of my last giveaway a couple of months ago, I thought it was about time I ran another! This time, the prize is this quirky You’re On My Wavelength Einstein necklace, from unique British jewellery brand Eclectic Eccentricity. The necklace features a gold toned geometric frequency wavelength, and a teeny tiny, but very detailed, figure of Einstein, on a gold plated 18″ chain. It also comes packaged in a cute little gift box, and is worth £16.50.
To enter, all you have to do is follow the steps in the Rafflecopter form below. It is mandatory to become an email subscriber or WordPress follower, and to leave a comment on this post, and then you have the option to earn extra entries, via Twitter, Facebook, Bloglovin’, and Instagram.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway will be open for two weeks, and will close at midnight GMT on Thursday 24th July. The giveaway is open internationally to those aged 18 or over, and all entries will be verified. A winner will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter on Friday 25th July and will be contacted via email the same day, so please use a valid email address when subscribing. The winner will then have 48 hours to claim their prize, and if they don’t another winner will be chosen.
Oh, and you can also check out how I styled the necklace myself by clicking here!
Good luck and thank you for entering!
Naomi x
Four Beautiful Keys Moon Necklace
8
7 years
Four Beautiful Keys is a Suffolk-based online jewellery boutique, specialising in unique and handcrafted pieces, created using traditional silver smithing techniques. I have always been a fan of silver, rather than gold, jewellery, and it was the company’s creative use of silver that first drew me to them when I spotted them on Twitter. So, when Four Beautiful Keys offered to send me an item to review I was thrilled, and happily accepted.
I didn’t get to choose my piece, but after browsing the website I was secretly hoping for one in particular, and to my surprise it was the one I received – how lucky am I?! Ever since childhood I have been fascinated by the moon, and this dainty moon necklace is just so perfect for me. The pendant itself is made from hammered 925 silver, and is just under 2cm high.
I’m a very tactile person, and I find the shape and texture of the pendant really pleasing, and I often find myself absent-mindedly fiddling with it. That may sound odd, but to me it’s a good thing as it makes it feel that little bit more special.
The moon came on an 18 inch chain, which is the ideal length for me and sits right above the neckline of most of my clothing, but Four Beautiful Keys give you the option of a variety of chain lengths, from 16 inches to 20 inches, at no extra cost.
At £24.00 for a bespoke piece of jewellery, this necklace is incredibly affordable, and it even comes packaged in a cute little gift box, so would make a gorgeous gift for someone special. It’s such a versatile piece too, and I’ve worn it with pretty dresses, but also baggy jumpers and jeans, and it always looks great.
Four Beautiful Keys also sell a wide variety of other items, including personalised disc necklaces, jewellery gifts for mum and bridesmaids, bracelets, earrings, rings, silver charms, and an array of other silver necklaces. To browse the full range, you can visit the Four Beautiful Keys website here, and you can also find them on Twitter and Facebook.
Naomi x
*This Moon Necklace was sent to me by Four Beautiful Keys for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Heavy Spike Bracelet from Accessories Boutique
2
7 years
I was recently contacted by the lovely Julie of independent jewellery retailer Accessories Boutique, who very kindly offered me the chance to choose a piece from her online store to review. Accessories Boutique is a veritable, virtual treasure trove of individual pieces that have been specially chosen to suit all styles, and they stock everything from necklaces and bracelets, to scarves and bags. There are hundreds of beautiful pieces available, so much so that it took me a while to choose one, but I eventually settled on this stunning Heavy Spike Bracelet, which retails for £18.00.
I’ve always had a thing for studs and spikes on accessories, and used to wear a lot of them during my ‘Goth’ teen years, but unlike the cheap, tacky stuff I had back then, this bracelet is classy, eye-catching, and a bit more ‘grown up’. It consists of five rows of high-shine metal spikes, which are blunted so they won’t snag on clothes, and are securely joined at the back and strung onto robust elastic. As its name suggests, it is also quite heavy, but not to the point that it’s uncomfortable to wear. Everything about this bracelet, especially the weightiness, oozes quality, and it is incredibly well made. It fits really well too as it’s slightly curved, so has an elegant shape and sits neatly against the wrist.
This is undoubtedly a statement piece which is perfect for the current Gothic and Biker trends, and it is also very versatile. I usually wear a lot of thin bracelets stacked on top of each other, but this is so big and bold I can get away with wearing it on its own, with whatever I’m wearing that day, and it always grabs people’s attention. In fact, I love it so much that I plan on featuring it in a few up and coming outfit posts, so check back soon for those.
You can get your own Heavy Spike Bracelet, and loads of other gorgeous pieces, online at Accessories Boutique, and if you spend £20 delivery is free.
Happy shopping!
Naomi x
*This Heavy Spike Bracelet was sent to me by Accessories Boutique for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Bespoke Sterling Silver Ring by Biggley
5Whilst browsing Twitter a few weeks ago, I noticed that an independent jewellers called Biggley were looking for bloggers to review some pieces from their new range. As a fan of silver jewellery, which they specialise in, I jumped at the chance of applying, and was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the few bloggers to receive a piece.
Biggley are based in Glasgow, and are made up of a small team of qualified jewellers and designers, who handcraft a variety of beautiful, bespoke jewellery. They make a wide range of pieces for women, men and children, from necklaces and bracelets, to rings and earrings, most of which is made of high quality sterling silver.
The piece I received is the D Shaped Ring from Biggley’s latest collection.
The ring is really unusual as it breaks away from the typical circular design of a ring, with a straight bar which sits across the top of the finger. The ring is crafted from sterling silver, and is set with a single cubic zirconia stone, which has a brilliant shine to it. As soon as I saw the ring I was really taken with how unique it is, and I think it’s absolutely stunning. Unsurprisingly, my mum does too, and she keeps asking me for it, so I keep having to hide it from her!
The ring also fits really nicely, and is an absolute pleasure to wear as it goes with any outfit, and due to its shape doesn’t spin round, so feels comfortable on the finger.
Biggley’s jewellery is all bespoke as every single piece is crafted by hand to a high standard, and is made to order. This doesn’t mean you have to wait a long time for your item though, as they aim to have all pieces ready to post within seven days of the order being placed. I am genuinely impressed by just how perfect this ring is. It’s flawless, and has obviously been made with care and attention to detail, by an extremely skilled and precise jeweller. I love it.
The D Shaped Ring costs £40, which for a quality piece which is made especially for you, is extremely affordable. To view Biggley’s current jewellery collections, click here. You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook, where they will soon be launching an exciting giveaway, so keep an eye out for that!
Naomi x
*This sterling silver ring was sent to me by Biggley for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Pixie Chains Fantasy Pink Locket
3A couple of months ago I was very kindly gifted a beautiful locket by Pixie Chains – an independent jewellery brand specialising in cheap, retro, vintage style jewellery with a unique edge. The brains behind Pixie Chains is eighteen year old Matilda Littler from Derbyshire, an A Level student with a keen interest in fashion and photography, who makes a lot of the jewellery she sells herself.
The locket I was sent is the Fantasy Pink Locket, a gorgeous oversized gold tone locket which costs just £3.99 – a small price tag for a lot of necklace that is worth every penny.
The locket itself is excellent quality. It has a good weight to it without being too heavy, so it’s comfortable to wear, and it fastens securely so you can keep your secrets safe. The details are also really pretty and feminine, with a silhouetted rabbit on a pink background, chunky gem-style front, raised patterning all over and to top it all off, a large, girly bow. There is also a quote on the front of the locket which is slightly obscured, but the bit I can see properly reads ‘I was green and I like kangaroos’. The whole design reminds me of Alice in Wonderland, an old favourite of mine.
I’m a big fan of statement pieces of jewellery, and this is definitely that. It hangs on a long chain and sits below my chest, and is so versatile it looks great with anything – whether a t-shirt and jeans or a dress and heels. Here is how I wore it today, with a pinky purple jumper and black skinnies, it made a basic outfit look bold and brilliant.
All of Matilda’s pieces really are lovely and her business is growing fast, so if you want to keep up with her progress and be the first to see her latest pieces, you can follow her on Twitter and via her blog, and order items from her Etsy store. Here are a few of my favourite bargain pieces from her store…
Beatrix Potter Collection Miniature Book Earrings – £3.99 per pair
Oreo Biscuit Cookie Necklace – £3.99
Vintage Comics Avengers Charm Bracelet – £5.99
Which Pixie Chains piece if your favourite?
Naomi x
*This Fantasy Pink Locket was sent to me by Pixie Chains for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Stella & Dot: Autism Awareness Boutique
0April is Autism Awareness Month, and to raise money for The National Autistic Society the lovely folks at Stella & Dot have set up an online Autism Awareness Boutique. Stella & Dot sell a wide range of beautiful, unusual jewellery and accessories, and their Autism Awareness Boutique features five items, the net proceeds of which will be donated to The National Autistic Society. The National Autistic Society are the UK’s leading charity for people with autism, including Asperger syndrome, and they provide information and support for those with autism, and their families.
The items featured in the boutique include Stella & Dot’s Spirit Bracelet, Tree of Life Necklace (my favourite), La Folie Necklace, Pippa Necklace and a funky ‘Bring It‘ jewellery roll. As you can see below, every single piece is absolutely gorgeous with prices ranging from £25 to £55, and at least 15% of each sale will be given to The National Autistic Society. The charity is one which is very important to me, so I urge all of you to shop for a cause and check out Stella & Dot’s Boutique!
The boutique will be open for the whole of April, so there’s plenty of time to get your hands on one (or all!) of these little gems, whilst also supporting a worthy cause.
Happy shopping!
Naomi x
Batcat Necklace from TrueCutie
5
8 years
Earlier this week I received a very special delivery in the post from a fantastic independent jewellery brand called TrueCutie. TrueCutie is owned by Chatch, who has been making and selling cute, kawaii inspired jewellery and accessories since 2011, and she is extremely talented. Chatch and I had been talking on Twitter, and she offered to create a piece for me to review based on my suggestions, and what I gave her to work with was bats and cats. In no time at all, Chatch had worked her magic and made me an absolutely gorgeous Batcat hybrid necklace, and I couldn’t be happier with him!
Batcat is extremely well made, and it is obvious that Chatch puts a lot of love and care into her work. He is also very detailed, with heart melting eyes, blushing cheeks, pink ears, a quiff of hair and a curly tail, all of which add to the little guy’s cuteness. The pendant is quite large (around 1 inch high and 1.5 inches wide), and comes on a 24 inch chain, so it really makes a statement. I really like how the necklace sits too, as the angle of the bat wings keep Batcat straight, and the length of the chain means he hangs quite low.
The necklace is also really versatile. I think it looks great with bright, colourful clothing, such as the dress pictured above, but it also works well with plain outfits and helps to jazz them up a bit, adding a fun, quirky edge.
Because Chatch’s accessories are all handmade, they are all unique. She is also happy to do commissions so you really can have a one of a kind piece that is special to you, which is hard to find these days in a world of high street monotony! Every time I wear Batcat I get so many compliments, and people always ask me where I got him from because they’ve never seen anything like him before, which is what I love about wearing individual pieces. I just love him so much!
If you want some TrueCutie goodies for yourself, or as a gift for a loved one, you can view the TrueCutie Etsy shop here. Everything is so reasonably priced (ranging from £2 to around £15), and if you’re looking for a commission you can get in touch with Chatch at . You can also find TrueCutie on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, and Chatch will be holding a stall at London Comic Con in May for the first time, which is really exciting! Chatch is a lovely, friendly girl and her products and service are amazing, so please help support a very gifted maker. She’ll be making more hybrid pieces soon too, so keep an eye out for those.
Here are a few of my favourite pieces from the TrueCutie Etsy store.
Five-a-Day Fruity Hair Clip – £12
Strawberrylicious Ice Cream Cone Necklace – £8.50
Red the Crab Necklace – £7.50
Fondant Fancy Necklace – £10
Which TrueCutie piece do you like best?
Naomi x
Valentine’s Birthday
9Yesterday was not only Valentine’s Day but my 23rd birthday, and I was lucky enough to have the day off work to celebrate! As is tradition, I woke up early to open my cards and presents, and in the afternoon I went for a lovely lunch with my family and partner, Charles. After lunch, Charles and I walked into town for a wander round and to see the Richard III exhibition at the local museum, before heading home for birthday cake and a game of Balderdash. It was a relaxed day, but I enjoyed it as I got to spend time with the people I love, and I was given some amazing gifts which I am extremely grateful for! Here are a few photos from the day…
I was lucky enough to receive everything on my Birthday Wish List this year, and more! Everything I was given is very ‘me’, and I have quite a few fashion and beauty items to review for you, including Layla, Miss Sporty and Barry M nail varnishes, Sleek Lipstick and Real Techniques make up brushes. There was also a strong owl theme in my cards and gifts this year… My mum even bought me a packet of owl print toilet roll as a joke! Haha.
Charles surprised me with this absolutely beautiful silver necklace which says ‘Everlong’. Everlong by the Foo Fighters has been my favourite song for years, and when Charles and I got together it became ‘our’ song, so when I saw this I very nearly cried. I love it so much and I’m going to treasure it forever!
I’m a massive fan of Batman, and Charles’ mum and sister baked me this amazing Batman cake. The bat is made from dark chocolate, the icing is vanilla and chocolate buttercream, and the sponge inside is coloured green and purple like the Joker. How cool is that?
We are currently decorating our hallway and the walls were completely bare yesterday, so I decided to write a little note on the plaster for future generations to find one day when I’m old and grey.
Seeing as I had a casual day, I decided to wear a casual outfit for my birthday. I settled for a pink dress top with romantic lace sleeves and purple skinny jeans, both from H&M, and my trusty purple Dr Martens. Oh, and my Everlong necklace of course!
And true to kitty form, my cat Moth loved playing with all the wrapping paper and gift bags!
What did you do for Valentine’s Day this year? Did you get anything nice from your loved one?
Naomi x
Fashion and Beauty Christmas Haul
6Well! After weeks of preparation – shopping, cooking and decorating – Christmas Day has been and gone, and we’re all probably a few pounds heavier than we were this time last week! I hope you all had a wonderful time, celebrating in your chosen way with the people you love, and I hope Santa brought you everything you wished for. I personally had a great time! The highlight of Christmas for me is playing games and doing quizzes with my family, and they were definitely done in abundance.
Christmas isn’t just about the presents, but I got some really lovely fashion and beauty related things this year, so I thought I would share them with you today. I also got a lot of chocolate, baking equipment, geeky stuff (including a bat detector which I’ve been wanting for AGES) and books – my friends and relatives know me well!
So, here are some of my Christmas gifts. Apologies for the strange colouring in a few of the photographs… They were taken in bad lighting!
My dad bought me this absolutely beautiful sterling silver Bat Skull necklace. He mentioned that he got it from Etsy and it was handmade in New York by an obviously very talented maker. I instantly fell in love with it when I opened the box, and in my surprise I ended up dropping the box in my mug of tea, woops! I adore bats so I am going to treasure this piece.
I also love hares, so my dad gave me this large pewter moon hare pendant as well. Isn’t it stunning? I need to find a chain for this pronto so I can start wearing it.
The dinosaur at the top was from my sister, Rex from Toy Story was from my fiancé, and the owl was from my fiancé’s sister. Owls, dinosaurs and necklaces are a few of my favourite things, so I was very pleased to receive all three of these beauties.
I received three different perfumes this year, all of which are replacements for perfumes I already have. Cacharel’s Amor Amor (one of my all time favourites), Vera Wang Princess Night, and an Accessorize Gift Set.
I didn’t get much make up this year, but my cousin gave me 17’s Smoky Eye Palette and a few little 17 lip glosses. The red gloss is gorgeous! The guy at the bottom is a rather cute owl lip balm.
How amazing are these?! My fiancé’s sister gave me these Batman nail transfers. I was so excited when I opened them and I cannot wait to give them a go. Definitely expect a review of these soon.
This cat bag from my mum was one of my favourite gifts this year. It’s big and furry and very soft – it needs to stop raining now so I can use it!
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a scarf, gloves or socks, and this year I got all three. The scarf is purple with green skulls and is nice and light – ideal for spring. The socks have squirrels on them, one of my favourite animals, and the rainbow mitten gloves are SO SNUGGLY – win!
Not the best photo in the world but my mum got me a BATMAN ONESIE! Amazing, right?
A massive thank you to everyone who spoilt me this year, I am extremely grateful. Did you get anything fashion and beauty related for Christmas this year? I’d love to see your hauls too!
Naomi x
Celliana Spike and Peace Bracelet
7I was recently given the opportunity by Sarah at Celliana to choose a gorgeous piece of jewellery from their new Regal Treasure collection. Celliana are a UK-based, online jewellery design company who put a lot of thought and care into creating exclusive yet affordable pieces. Their jewellery combines contemporary high fashion and traditional crafting techniques to bring you exciting designs which fit but also transcend current fashion trends, and every single item is designed by the company’s own small team of talented designers.
I actually found it quite difficult to pick just one piece when browsing the Regal Treasue collection as there are so many stunning pieces, but in the end I settled for a simple yet versatile bracelet – their Spike and Peace Bracelet, which costs just £4.00.
When I first received the bracelet I was really impressed with the way it was presented. It came in a little black drawstring pouch with a label attached, which in turn was in a Celliana branded bag-like ‘envelope’ – a lot more luxurious and far more personal than just being thrown into a jiffy bag!
The Spike and Peace Bracelet is very well made. The black cord which forms the bracelet is very tightly braided which makes it extremely strong, so there’s no worry that the bracelet will snap, and it has an adjustable cord fastening so it will fit any wrist comfortably without the chance that it will slip off or feel too tight.
The gold, metal-look peace sign and spike beads are woven securely into place, and have a decent weight and shine to them which gives them a look of real metal! I’ve found that, with some badly made bracelets, any protruding beads have the tendency to slip around and point in different directions, which can get quite annoying. However, the spike beads in this design stay pointing in the direction they’re supposed to, which is a sign of a good quality product in my eyes!
Celliana’s Spike and Peace bracelet sits really nicely on the wrist and is perfect for this season’s trend for stackable bracelets, and luckily at £4.00 it is cheap enough to invest in a few pieces from their website for a more dramatic look! It also fits the Autumn/Winter trend for all things Gothic, what with the spikes and black and gold contrast, which looks beautifully classy.
Celliana will be launching four Autumn/Winter 2012 collections over the next few months, with Regal Treasure being the first. They have also recently released their rather feminine Elegant Rose collection, but there are still two more amazing collections to come so keep an eye out!
Naomi x
