My very own Tiffany moment

As I previously mentioned, I had to make an impromptu trip to our fair capital Thursday into Friday for a very exciting couple of days. It was a very rewarding trip and to treat myself as a memento of a mind blowingly amazing 48 hours (which includes the fact I secured some Take That tickets) I gave myself a £100 limit to treat myself to something from Selfridges. After much searching around before getting the train I happened upon Tiffany & Co - a brand I've admired but never owned anything from.

I finally chose this silver ring for the brilliant price of £85. It's so cute and when I wear it I'll be reminded of one of the best days of my life so far. So I finally had my Audrey Hepburn 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' moment at the ripe old age of 27 (minus the croissant of course)

What's a girl to do?

I'm off to the Big Smoke on Thursday after work for a bit of a random trip. It's been a total spur of the moment thing (by which I mean booked Monday to go Thursday) which is exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. I've been there by myself a few times but it's been to meet someone at the other end. This time it's just lil ol' me until Friday night!

So what I need is for people to offer me some suggestions to occupy myself in a fun, safe and relatively inexpensive fashion. I'm staying in a lovely hotel near the Westfield Shopping Centre (which is exciting and dangerous for my bank balance in equal measures.) So ladies and jellyspoons...what's a girl to do?

Chuck Bass - Gossip Girl King

He is my Gossip Girl crush and an unexpected one at that...I can't explain it but I reckon it's his voice and the arrogance of the character he plays. If you haven't seen Gossip Girl, do yourself a favour and start watching it. You can thank me later...

GIVEAWAY

Better late than never! Sorry about the giveaway being a couple of days later than planned but sickness seems to rear its ugly head at just the wrong time. I'm sure you all understand :)

OK, so the giveaway...Thanks to http://www.prettyfulthings.com/ (an online boutique previously mentioned in my blogs) we have one of these lovely satchels to give to one of my lovely followers! Lovely for my ladies or if you're a bloke you could give it as a gift (after all Christmas is just around the corner)!

So now you know what's up for grabs, here's what you have to do to get it:

1. Become a follower of this blog.

2. Leave a comment under this post telling me what you favourite item is on http://www.prettyfulthings.com/  accompanied by your twitter name (or email address if you don't have a Twitter account.)

That's all I ask and the competition finishes at midnight on the 31st October. The winner will be revealed on here and on Twitter on the 1st November! If you would like to follow me @MissTRChatter and @Prettyfulthings on Twitter and maybe even offer a cheeky RT, that just shows how nice you are :)

Good luck everyone and thanks for taking part xxx

I'm a Bad Gal!

For the past 3 years I've been religiously using Benefit's 'Bad gal lash' Mascara. I've had the Black, Blue and Plum variations (still need to try the Brown) and have been pretty impressed with them all. In fact I love everything  I've ever tried by Benefit.

I think it all starts with the packaging. It's all really well designed - pretty, kitsch, just totally gorgeous. Sometimes products can be style over substance but Benefit are just as good as they first appear.

I'm currently using the Plum one which suits my green/brown eyes well and picks out the green colour more than other colour mascaras. The only fault I have found with it is that sometimes it smudges onto just below my eye which I didn't find happened with the other colours. My favourite so far has been the Bad Gal Blue Mascara which brightens your eyes up so you can look really fresh even if you're not feeling like it.

It's not one of those tacky blue colours that you see chavs wearing either as it's only really obviously blue in the sun. Even then it's a classy, subtle blue. I really would recommend it to anyone no matter what colouring. It's a great all rounder and comes in at only £15.50 in most shops/websites.

I'm looking forward to trying more Benefit products very soon!

Illamasqua Stalker

Hi, I'm Tilly and I'm an Illamasqua stalker.

I would like to say an addict, and in ways I think that's probably true but it's purely been an affair of the mind which can be just as dangerous and exciting as a physical love affair. Recently two friends of mine showed me some recent additions to their make up bags and every piece was Illamasqua. The packaging is exquisite, really alluring and sort of like the make up packaging version of a low cut top, enough to keep 'em wanting more! And that's before you get to the product itself! I've admired it from afar in Fenwicks but have not yet taken the plunge for reasons I will explain.

Now, anyone who knows me, knows that unless times are very hard and money is tight (yes and yes) I cannot resist trying new makeup products. Unfortunately for me, I'm saving very hard indeed so right now there's no spare cash for things I don't 'need'. Now I think this is matter of opinion. I do need Illamasqua. Not even just want, it's become almost a basic human right so why have I been left out of the club? Moolah is the obstacle between myself and the most stunning make up I've ever seen. ouch. Painful but true. So the plan is to do as much research as I can so that when I can afford to buy at least one piece (please God, let me afford more) then I have an informed choice planned.I have dark hair and really quite pale skin as some of you might have noticed from a pic in an old blog post, and I think a great statement blusher or eye colour would be the order of the day or maybe the year.

What would you recommend ladies and gents?

Not trying to be harsh but...

...do you think Cher Lloyd looks a bit like a Thunderbirds puppet?

THE MOST AMAZING NAIL BUFFER OF ALL TIME!

Yesterday I went to the Metro Centre, Gateshead. I was on a Christmas shopping mission so no spare funds for personal treats. Like in many shopping centres, there were plenty of barrow style stalls selling mineral make up, phone accessories etc. A chap on one of these barrows approached me and started trying to sell me a nail buffer. I love nail things but having no spare cash I decided to listen out of manners.

'Prepare to be amazed' he told me as he explained about the different sides and the qualities they possessed...cynically I thought it would be garbage but I am holding my hands up. I was 100% mistaken. The first side got rid of ridges, the second side did something else and the third side was made of silk which is the side that did the business! My nail was so shiny its looked as though it could have had clear nail varnish on! I can't even remember what name it was retailing under so I may have to do a bit of detective work!

I'm now desperate to have one. Please, someone?

Winter is most definately here...

I am so cold. I'm actually sat under my quilt. I feel like those elderly people you see on the news who can't afford to switch on another bar on the fire because they've been skanked out of a decent pension. To the elderly...I FEEL YOUR PAIN! I can't afford to be warm either.

Favourite songs

I was laid in bed last night and my favourite song took my by surprise. Iris by Goo Goo Dolls has been my favourite song since I was a teenager - probably for about 13 years! It's meant so much to me and reminds me of lots of good and bad times.

The first time I ever heard it was on holiday with a friend when I was 14. We were in Salou and had a German music channel on in our room whilst we were getting ready. Iris came on and had me from the first verse. When we returned to England I went on a frantic hunt but couldn't find how to get hold of the single or album anywhere. We didn't have the internet so Woolworths and HMV were probably the limits of my search. I ended up getting the City Of Angels soundtrack just to own the song and used to play it on repeat all the time. I reckon my family wanted to throttle me! Not long before I left school, the single was released which I HAD to own and as soon as I could track down the album - Dizzy Up The Girl - I bought that too. A bit hysterical I know but totally worth it. It's an insanely good album.

When I was at college there was a boy I liked who was a great musician. Although I knew nothing much was going to happen between us I was at that age where everything that happens is the best or worst thing ever. There was a music event at college and the boy had learnt Iris and did an acoustic version. Not only that but he dedicated it to me! To this day, this is one of the most romantic things that has ever happened to me.

Then a few years ago, my brother surprised me and bought me tickets to see them in Manchester. One of my ambitions fulfilled for sure. It was freakin' awesome! I've just heard they're touring again so if I can spare the time and money I'm going to go!

Everyone has songs that mean bittersweet things to them. What's yours and why?