Be Beau Studded Cardigan – £1.00

Jaeger Striped Shirt – £1.00

Omen Skeleton T Shirt – £1.00

Lipsy Lace Bolero – £3.00

Living Dead Souls Leopard Print Cardigan – £3.50

Zara Shirt – £3.75

Farhi Maxi Skirt – 99p

Books – 75p and 50p

Total Spend: £15.49

I’m really pleased with this haul as I managed to get pieces for work and leisure, from some great brands.  My two favourites are the Zara shirt, which looks great with black skinnies and heels, and the Lipsy lace bolero.  The bolero still had its tags attached so is brand new, and was actually £15.00 in the Lipsy sale, so at £3.00 was an absolute steal!

Naomi x

Next Button Wrap Front Dress £2.50

Per Una Crochet Sleeve Jumper Dress £1

ASOS Swallow Print Skater Dress £2

Miss Selfridge Drape Front Cardigan £1

I also got a cute little ‘Sew Your Own Baby Owl’ kit for 50p, which I thought would be a nice little craft project to do one evening.

It total, including the craft kit, I spent just £7.  I’m really pleased with my latest thrift haul, and I hope I can keep up the pace and add more bargainous additions to my wardrobe next time!

Have you been thrifting yet this year?  Have you managed to find anything exciting?

Naomi x

I was lucky enough to receive lots of cards, a few Highcross and Amazon vouchers from friends and family, and some gorgeous gifts, so I thought I’d do a little haul post to show you some of what I got.

My mum gifted me this watch, and it’s absolutely stunning.  I love the marcasite detail and I’ve been wearing it every day since I got it.

My two main presents from Charles were these Kate Bush themed necklaces.  The first one is from her official website, and features lyrics from one of my favourite songs, Cloudbusting.  I actually saw this when I went to see Kate in London last year, but couldn’t afford it at the time.  I really wasn’t expecting to get it for my birthday, so was so happy when I opened it!  The second necklace is made of silver and was personalised just for me.  I love it.

Charles also got me this awesome Game of Thrones t shirt.  I can’t wait to style it for an outfit post in the coming weeks!

My dad gave me a few bits for the house, my favourite of which is the Moroccan lamp.  It’s made of metal and is lined with purple fabric, and gives off a lovely ambient glow.  It now takes pride of place on my living room fireplace.

Much to my delight I get quite a few books every year, and this year was no different.  Charles gave me ‘A First Book of Nature’, and ‘An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth’ by my space hero, Chris Hadfield.  The rat training book was from an old school friend, and my sister gave me ‘Wreck This Journal’ and ‘The Pocket Scavenger’, both by Keri Smith.  I can’t wait to start filling them in!

All of the above were parts of gifts from my old school friends, who I celebrated with last night at my favourite restaurant.  There was a definite rat theme to their gifts this year!

And of course, no birthday haul would be complete without an abundance of chocolate!

Last but not least, my talented mum made me this super cute heart wreath.  She crocheted the flowers herself, and decorated them with buttons.  This now adorns my bedroom door and it looks right at home.

Naomi x

To welcome in 2015, I thought I would post a roundup of the most popular Bewitchery posts of 2014.  Despite the fact that I was less active on my blog, 2014 was another successful blogging year, so I’d like to thank all of my readers for their continued support.  The following ten posts were my most read of the year that were actually published in 2014, and I’m pleased to see a couple of my personal favourite posts in there!

10. Collective Haul: Thrifted, H&M, La Senza, Primark

One of several haul/thrifty posts of 2014, this one features a lot of clothes that I bought for work, as well as a few carboot bargains.

9. CheckoutSmart App

CheckoutSmart is still one of my most used apps, and to date I’ve got £67.63 back from it, which isn’t bad for a free app!  Definitely worth downloading.

8. Urban Outfitters Leicester Press Preview

I had a great time checking out the new Urban Outfitters store in Leicester back in September, and I got some awesome photos.  See them at the link above.

7. Degustabox April 2014

This was my second Degustabox and was definitely one of the best.  Visit the post for my recipe for Chocolate Ginger Tiffin!

6. Primark PS Love Lip Gloss

Primark’s PS Love lip glosses are surprisingly good quality for only £1.50.  Perfect for Spring/Summer.

5. What I Wore: Rat Face

Because who doesn’t love a slightly naff, oversized, animal face t-shirt?

4. What I Wore: Victorianesque

I am so glad this What I Wore post reached the Top 10 as it is probably my favourite outfit post of 2014.  Check it out if you want to see more pics and find out where everything’s from!

3. Collection Gothic Glam Lipstick in ‘Revenge’

Collection’s Gothic Glam Lipstick in ‘Revenge’ is a classic deep red, and an absolute steal at £2.99.

2. 2True 3 in 1 Concealer

I use this concealer on a daily basis and I still swear by it.  Fantastic at only £1.99.

1. Swap & Save with Aldi – Lacura Skincare

In January 2014, Aldi challenged me to Swap & Save my usual lotions and potions for their Lacura skincare products.  Find out my thoughts by visiting the link above.

Naomi x

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas.  Mine was spent at home with family, which is just how I like it.

After a few days of relaxing, and purposefully avoiding the first crazy days of the sales, I spent yesterday and today doing a bit of shopping.  Luckily the shops weren’t too busy, and though I didn’t go mad, I managed to get quite a few items that I’m really pleased with.  Here are most of them…

Primark Biker Jacket – Was £23.00, Paid £10.00

Primark Dressing Gown – Was £12.00, Paid £5.00

George Penguin Fleece – Was £16.00, Paid £8.00

Primark Black Bag – Was £6.00, Paid £3.00

Primark Green Bag – Was £6.00, Paid £3.00

New Look Boots – Was £27.99, Paid £14.00

New Look Shoes – Was £11.99, Paid £4.00

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7″ – Was £139.99, Paid £79.00

I bought a few other things in the sales which aren’t pictured, including a pair of gloves for £2.00, some Christmas decorations reduced from £3.00 to £1.00, a diary for £1.99 (down from £7.00) and a Vax hoover for £45.00, reduced from about £70.00.  I also bought a couple of non-sale items too, namely a top and a case for my new tablet.

In total, I made a huge saving of around £90.00 in the sales this year, made all the better by the fact that a few items were paid for using vouchers that I got for Christmas.

What did you get in the sales?

Naomi x

Thrifted Papaya Polka Dot Peplum Top £1 / H&M Black Super Stretch Straight Leg Trousers £7.99 / Primark Black Suedette Flat Shoes £6

Primark Long Black Lace Shirt £10 / Primark Black Skinny Jeans £7 each (I bought two pairs, one of which I plan on customising) / Shoes as before

Primark Polka Dot Cardigan £8

Primark Stripe Long Sleeve Top £4

Thrifted Zara Flying Squirrel T Shirt 50p

La Senza Knickers £1 each

Total Spend: £54.49

I also recently placed an order on DressLink.com, but I am going to do a separate post about those purchases (possibly a YouTube video) as I want to share more details about my experience of the site.

What do you think of my new haul items?

Naomi x

Topshop Studded Lace Bralet £5

This cost a bit more than I usually like to spend on items at a car boot sale, but I just couldn’t resist the studs and lace!  Topshop bralets seem to be really popular at the moment, and this one has an RRP of £38, so I’m pleased to have found one in my size at a fraction of the price.  According to the lady I bought it from it is unworn too, other than being tried on.

New Look Cutout Heart Dress £2

I’ve been wanting a cut out heart dress for ages, so when I spotted this under a huge pile of clothes on one stall, I snapped it up.  It’s exactly my size too!  I love it, and it looks like it’s never been worn which is a bonus.

Sans Souci Polka Dot Dip Hem Blouse £2

This is one of my favourite finds of the day.  I’m currently on the look out for more summer tops, and this will be perfect for warm, sunny days.  The dip hem and button back detail are really lovely, and are what caught my eye when I saw it on the rail.  Sans Souci isn’t a brand I’m familiar with, but the blouse still had a TK Maxx tag attached, and it cost £9.99 new.

Oasis Leather Studded Waist Belt £1.50

Again, I’ve been trying to source a decent waist belt for a while, so this was another bargain I couldn’t pass up.  The belt is made from real leather, and still had its Oasis tags attached so is brand new.

H&M Silver and Grey Jumper £1

It’s not like I need another jumper, but I actually saw a similar jumper to this in H&M last season and wanted one, so I bought it anyway.  I thought it’d be itchy, but it’s actually nice and soft, and I know I’ll get plenty of wear out of it.

Next Oversized Polka Dot Shirt 25p

This shirt is three sizes too big for me, but I bought it to wear it as an oversized cardigan during cool summer evenings.  And anyway, at 25p I couldn’t say no.

Stuart Little Soft Toy 50p

And just because I have a soft spot for cuddly toys and rodents, I brought Stuart Little home for 50p.  He has slightly tatty whiskers and was a little grubby, but after a quick bath he’s now squeaky clean (excuse the pun!)

Total: £12.25

What do you think of my latest thrifty finds?  Which piece stands out for you?

Naomi x

Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty / The Usborne Book of Drawing, Doodling and Colouring / I Am Pusheen the Cat / Batman: The Killing Joke / Cornucopia at Home: The Cookbook

Look Beauty Glitz & Glam Nail Set / Sleek Blush By 3 in ‘Pink Lemonade’ / John Galliano EDP

Dreamcatcher Scarf / Batman Socks (they have capes!!)

Ratty Photo Album / Treats for my girls / Rat Calendar / Custom Made Rat Necklaces by Solstice Mini’s (I’ll be reviewing these separately soon!)

The Great British Bake Off Muffin Tin and Sandwich Tins

Graduation Photo Frame / Pink Notebook / Batman USB Stick / Uniball Gelstick Pens

Lumpy Space Princess Plush

Lots of Chocolate! (I actually got 4 boxes of Milk Tray but one of them was polished off before I took these photos…)

My mum got especially crafty for my birthday this year.  She actually crocheted the blanket you can see in the photos above, as an extra special gift, and she even made my birthday card by hand.  With a heart and rose theme as it was Valentine’s Day!  Look how beautiful it is…

Oh and I’m also waiting on an amazing necklace from my dad that I plan on styling in an outfit post asap, so keep an eye out for that.

Thanks everyone for my gorgeous presents

Naomi x

I hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year. My Christmas was spent at home with family, as is traditional, and was filled with lots of food and games!

I was very lucky this year and received a lot of lovely gifts, some that I’d asked for and some that were a complete surprise. I love being nosy and seeing what other people got for Christmas, so I thought I’d do a similar post and share my haul with you too!

Dove Gift Set / Snow Fairy Shower Gel / OPI Nail Lacquer x 2 / The Body Shop Body Butter / 17 Nail Polish / Ghost Captivating Perfume / Scholl i-Pop Massager

Snood / Butterfly Hair Clip / Socks / Kitty Slippers / Owl Mittens

Monsters University Shower Set / Monsters University Glow in the Dark PJs

Agate Necklace / Amethyst Silver Ring / Copper Spiral Amethyst Pendant

Black Stud Bag

Ratty Compact Mirror

Kurt Geiger Sally Ankle Boots / Kurt Geiger Brace Wedges

Sugar Skull Money Box / Owl and Star Photo Frame / Salads Recipe Book / Dinosaur Cushion / Rocket Tea Infuser

The Dark Knight Manual / Batman Arkham Asylum Anniversary Edition Graphic Novel

Breaking Bad DVD Box Set / Skullcandy 50/50 Earphones

Rats 2014 Calendar / 2014 Button Diary

Lots of chocolate!

What did you get for Christmas this year?

Naomi x

I plan on reviewing everything I purchased from Fragrance Direct in the coming weeks, but for now I thought I would show you my collective haul.  The website is restocked almost every day, and also runs out of products just as quickly, so I ended up placing three separate orders in order to get hold of everything I wanted.  It did mean I had to pay three lots of postage, but postage is only £1.99 and I split it with my mum and sister as they ordered a few things too, so everything still works out dirt cheap.

Here is what I received in my first two orders… (The third hasn’t arrived yet, but it only consists of two Essie nail varnishes so I’ll add them at a later date).

Dainty Doll Powder Blusher in ‘My Girl’ – £1.99 (RRP £13.50) and Dainty Doll Cream Blusher in ‘Paper Roses’ – £1.99 (RRP £13.50)

Dainty Doll Concealer in ‘002 Abracadabra’ – £1.99 (RRP £14.50)

Dainty Doll Lipstick in ‘Couture’ – £1.99 (RRP £12.50)

Essie Nail Polish in ‘Orange It’s Obvious’ – £1.99 (RRP £7.99)

(‘Bikini So Teeny’ and ‘Cascade Cool’ are currently in the post.)

Manhattan Rock Topia Nail Polish in ‘5’ and ‘6’ – £0.49 each (RRP £2.99 each)

(My mum ordered shades 2, 3 and 4 and they are all absolutely gorgeous.)

Dr Ciate Prescriptive Nail Care File for Brittle Nails – £0.99 (RRP £3.99)

Excluding postage, this little lot cost me just shy of £12.00, but is worth a whopping £72.00 in total!  I’m really happy with all of my items and I can’t wait to receive my next order and place even more in the future.  Keep an eye out for swatches and reviews of everything coming soon.

Have you ever ordered from Fragrance Direct?  What did you buy?

Naomi x