Facebook! :)

Mission Me! is having a little makeover this week and I have some exciting plans for lots more beauty, fashion and chat which is why Mission Me! has now landed on Facebook. Yay!

http://www.facebook.com/MissionMeBlog

I'd love it if you took the time to click the link and like xx

Have you got a Facebook page for your blog? I'd love to know. Yes, five years too late, but this Facebook malarkey could well become my new obsession. I've already spent an hour or so liking a few of my favourite pages (yep, some of you are there!)

I hope your week is going well. I'm off to find my phone, I have a horrible feeling that I've left it three miles away. Darn!!!

The Zara top with the beaded collar!

So while in London the other day, I got to fully immerse myself in the Zara experience for the first time and what can I say but wow, now I know what you're all raving about! Everything appears to be of fantastic quality, stylish and feminine to a certain degree, even the more androgynous numbers.

The first little number, I spotted, was a black peplem top. . . it sounds so simple but of course, there was a twist or two. The body of the top appears to be made out of a typical polyamide, viscose mix with some lace panelling down the sleeves and the sides and then there was the leather peplem.

It looked divine on the hanger but in the changing room, it was back to reality with a bump. It just wasn't made to fit my sizing. The sleeves were too long and the lacing fell all-a-twist, the deep peplem looked enormous on me and almost seemed to turn back on itself in a manner a little reminiscent of something Lady Gaga would work.

I still highly recommend you all try this top on, it is beautiful but just don't give your heart to it until you have tried it on as this is one garment that seems to really need to fit well to work.

Such a shame as I love the design, structure and composition and kind of regret not trying on this similar dress too.

This jacquard jacket, however, is one that I found it even harder to walk away from. In fact, I tried it on three times and still think of it a little wistfully now. To start with it is black with gold embellishments, my favourite colour combination. The short length works perfectly on someone as short as me and the peplem comes across much more subtly then it did in the leather top. The cut is not as deep and the jacquard makes it all a lot softer. I see this military styled one as a budget alternative to the Prodiga coasts I've been lusting over (see here). Argh, reading what I've written and swooning over the picture again, I can't work out why I walked away from this jacket. . .

 

 

 

Finally, we have this top with the beaded collar. It is so simple but pretty and it just looks so elegant on, that I had to get it. The beads around the neck just add that subtle sparkle and the viscose shirt seems to have great shape and be of a good fit for me. I also fell in love with the cute three star shaped buttons which fasten the back. So far, I've worn it with my go to denim blue Top Shop Baxter jeans but I wouldn't mind mixing it up with some coloured jeans or maybe a pencil skirt. The only challenge for me will be trying to keep it clean longer then a hour or so, I'm so clumsy!!! Oh and note, this top is pretty sheer. I'm wearing a vest top underneath.

 

 

 

 

 

London was fabulous and indeed after seeing the Christmas lights and possibly the biggest tree ever in Covent Garden, I 'm ready to fully embrace Christmas. I had my hair cut and I'm really pleased with it, it is still long but now, it actually has some style! I'm hoping to get some pictures when I wash  and style my hair tonight and then maybe I'll try and pull together a hair post for you all.

I hope you're all having a fantastic weekend. Mine is passing in a bit of a haze as I burn my lovely Vintage Flowers candle from Next (Boo, I can't find a link for the actual candle) and immerse myself in the book, Express Make Up by Rae Morris. So far, so good and the pictures are AMAMmmmazinggg! So inspiring!!!

Have you read Express Make Up? Who is your make up icons? Have you purchased anything from Zara lately?

 

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Hair brief!

So one more day of work and then I'm looking at a WHOLE week off, yay :)

And the first thing I'm doing is heading to the bright lights of London and getting the barnet sorted!

I think I mentioned a few posts ago that my natural hair is long now, not as long as my extensions or anywhere near as long as I'd like but there is some length there and really after months and months of waiting, I should be showing it off.

However at the moment, as you can imagine with just two haircuts in almost two and half years, it ain't in no state to be shown off so I'm mustering all the courage I have and going to a "top" hairdresser in London who I can only find rave reviews for. If I walk away as happy as the reviewers claim to have then I will share her details with you.

Anyhow, I have spent a little time tonight making a little list of points that I would like to bring up at the consultation (normally my mouth goes dry but not this time I will be holding tightly on to my list and I intend to use it)

The points are as follows . . .

1/ I don't want to lose too much length! Yes, I probably need to lose two or three inches right now but I really don't want to. It has took me so long to get my hair to this point. I'm not sure that I could go through all the waiting, hair pills and so-called miracle products (expensive!) again.

2/ The front needs sorting out! No hairdresser has ever perfected the front sections of my hair, the bits in front of my ear. I'm thinking it needs graduating and it has been done before by many a hairdresser but for some reason always looks disjointed. There is no hope of my hair ever looking styled unless somebody can find a way of giving the front some good shape and creating an illusion where these front sections seamlessly flow down to the baseline.

3/ I want chunky ends. I want my fine hair to look as strong as possible but sadly, I know this may not be possible unless I concede point 1.

4/ I also intend to ask the hairdresser for some advice as to colour. At the moment, I'm not booked in for anything as I know chemical colour can be detrimental to growing hair. My hair is a very dark brown at the moment which I think, makes it appear quite healthy considering its true state. However, I'm finding the dark colour, which is probably only a shade darker then my natural hair, can look very harsh in photos and I wonder what others see. It maybe that the colour will be softened once my hair actually has a cut and is more styled but colour talk is going on the agenda!

Here are a few pictures I've pinned that I may show (I always take five or six pics to the salon but I'm not sure if one has ever made it out of my bag) the hairdresser.

This is one of Rachel Bilson but I've actually pinned two or three. I really like her hair and general style.

Similar to Rachel's . . .

Something a little different, if my face is deemed not suitable for the 'Rachel'. . .

And worse case scenario, if the length has got to go then I want a long bob Olivia style but please remember (and don't worry, I will remind the hairdresser), I don't really want to Bob anything.

Hmmm, I wonder what my new hairdresser will come up with?!!

To be continued, I guess . . , eek!

What do you ask for at the salon? Do you always know what you want or do you leave it up to the hairdresser to decide? I hope you are all well.

PS I would love your pinning links. Going through a Pin, pin, pin phase at the moment! My Pinterest is here if you wanted a peek :)

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Skylash (scraper) mascara from Collection!

So today I thought I would share with you one of my October favourites, the Skylash mascara from Collection (formerly Collection 2000).

As I've hinted in earlier posts (here and here and here and here and here and here), I tend to go for L'Oreal (Volume Million!!) or Max Factor when a new mascara is required. However lately, I've started to try and limit my make up spending. At the moment, I just feel that investing in good quality haircare and skincare products will eventually reap better rewards (though, I do need to share with you soon the new beautiful blush I purchased today. . .) and that is why after hearing/reading Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter rave about Skylash (skyscraper?) a couple of times (she did here!), I have now started a little love affair with this bargain beauty.

Skylash was just £4.99 from Boots and I believe, it is the older version of the Skyscraper mascara, a lengthening mascara that is supposed to lengthen to a degree that could 'flatten even the tallest skyscraper'.

Ok, right then . . .

Well, I'm not sure about the skyscrapers but I can tell you that this mascara does indeed appear to lengthen my lashes well and although, I'm not convinced that this mascara especially volumises (although the wand has long and short bristles. The short bristles are specifically suppose to volumise), my lash line does indeed look groomed and full enough after it has been slicked on. My particular mascara is in the shade Ultra Black and I found this shade strong, glossy and flattering. The consistency of the formula seems just right and allows the mascara to be applied easily with no mess or residue and what's more, the mascara seems to cling to the lashes lasting perfectly over a whole working day.

In the picture above, I'd been wearing the mascara for about eight hours with no reapplication and you can see, just how defined the lashes still are and how evenly the wand seems to have separated them. I like this flutter effect and feel that my lashes even have some added lift at the bottom. You can see a couple of small clumps in the picture above (darn, the detail that a Canon can pick up) but I have never noticed any clumping in real life and am tempted to draw a parallel with the Max Factor Lash Extension mascara that I posted about a long time ago here and here.

Like Lash Extension, Skylash is a mascara that can only be layered so much. Drama and false lash effects are not something that using this product could guarantee. After maybe three layers, this product fails to deliver any more. However, it is a mascara which I feel is hard to mess up and one that would lengthen and enhance any lashes naturally (yes, naturally in the way that a mascara can work naturally . . .). Yep, it's one of those where people would go, 'Ooh, your lashes look healthy.' rather then 'Ooh, I need to know what mascara you're wearing. It looks like you're wearing falsies today!' If people said such things!!!

I see that Boots talk about 'superstyled' lashes in reference to this mascara and that is actually bang on what this mascara delivers. It kind of makes the most of the lashes you've got but it doesn't try and fake anything that isn't there naturally.

For me, I'm not sure this mascara delivers enough to wear on a night out or with a full-on smoky eye but it is indeed, the one I'm turning to everyday for work and casual wear and at £4.99 would buy again and again for such use. Although, two or three weeks in, the formula seems as good as new and I don't think, I'll need to buy a new one for a good few weeks yet.

Yes, I can only conclude that this mascara is an absolute bargain! Recommend!!!

What is your favourite mascara right now? What brand do you go to for mascara? Have you tried Skylash (or Skyscraper as I believe it is now called)?

Here is a link to Skyscraper in Black on the Boots website!!
Please note that while writing this review, I got very confused between the Skylash and Skyscraper mascaras and could not clarify if they are indeed the same product or reformulated siblings etc. I'm guessing they are more or less the same product with a different name, please let me know if I have this wrong!!

*****

Away from mascara . . .

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. The stress that inevitably accumulates during the week was wiped away in an instant for me this morning when I woke up to snow!!!  I think it would be pushing it to say that it was 'proper' snow but it was snow all the same and I couldn't help but think of a quote from Ugly Betty (remember that show, I was so addicted to the first season or so), it goes something like . . .

'The snow falls and covers up everything that is ugly and makes it beautiful!'

 

Image from Google Search result here!

I hope you all found something to make you smile this weekend. What made you smile? : )

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