The H+M Pearl + Diamante Collar

I picked this up last month when H&M ran an offer whereby if you spent a certain amount instore you got £5 off your next purchase over £10, so I was lucky enough to get this for £7.99 reduced from £12.99.  I can't see it online but I've noticed a pink-hued version in store. I was a slow starter for the whole collar necklace trend, but I've been buying a lot of tops with embellished collars and I love the look.  I love wearing this with a plain top or dress.  Word of warning though, be careful not to spray perfume or hairspray when you're wearing it as it will tarnish easily.

Are you on PINTEREST? I signed up ages ago, didn't really do much with it, but in the past couple of months it's a daily destination (okay morning and evening) for me.  It's even cutting into my Facebook time! Here's my page - http://pinterest.com/clickandmakeup/ - why don't you leave a link to yours below in the comments so I can find and follow you?

Lots more posts coming up over the next few days, but for now, happy Hump Day!

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£1 Jewellery Storage Solution!

I knew I went into Poundland for a reason...

While picking up loads of random junk I spotted this Tool Box organiser and it reminded me of the Muji plastic compartment boxes I currently use to store my jewellery, expect more than ten times cheaper!

Since then I've gone back to pick up another and I think they're great, especially for storing bigger pieces like watches which are a bit of a squeeze to get into the Muji boxes. 

I also find with the Muji boxes some of my costume jewellery has oxidised faster than if it were in an airtight container, or at least one which didn't let the air circulate as easily. These Poundland boxes seal very securely.

You can place the divider in whichever way fits you collection best.




Don't you love my reindeer earrings?

I've also popped in some of my hairclips and beloved spin pins to keep them safe!




Poundland stocks turns over very quickly so get down to your local one soon if you want one!

Thomas Sabo Feather Jewellery - Pretty but Pricey

'Twas love at first sight.  I was wandering around Westfield waiting for himself to finish work when I spotted this beauty twinkling at me, and what can I say? It spoke to me.

However, it's stupidly over priced for what it is.  Okay so it's sterling silver, but I can get beautiful, massive sterling silver pendants from Portobello market for less than £30.   There were no prices in the shop window, and I can only find a legit Thomas Sabo website which gives the price in Euros: €298.

Um. Yeah.  

The piece is described as such: the feather heart stands for total faith in true love and the willingness to protect it.  Awww.  There's a smaller version of it too, which I actually think is nicer and more wearable for €198.  Still gulping.

It would go through my heart (ho ho!) to pay that considering the 'Amethyst' is not even real but 'Amethyst-coloured synthetic zirconia' and Marcasite is cheap as chips normally.  And it doesn't even come with a chain.  It's beautiful but I'll hopefully spot a rip-off version on the high street or Portobello, and please let me know if you've spotted anything similar elsewhere!

I like the whole feather theme Thomas has going on, and this pendant is cute too, and guess what? only €179!

I also like the look of these earrings, but can't decide if they're just too tacky.  Again they're a snip at €149 - for synthetic garnet.  Now I know there's loads of other jeweller's out there charging even higher prices for less craftsmanship (*cough* Tiffany's), but I really think the stones used should be real as Amethyst and Garnet are only semi-precious and inexpensive anyway.  So what you're paying for is the 'brand', but I didn't think TS was that prestigious.  Okay, I'll stop complaining now!

So...some pretty bits from Thomas Sabo, but I'll wait for cheaper dupes to come onto the market, or a lottery win!

Jewellery Storage & Organisation Solutions

My jewellery storage has been through many incarnations, but I think I've finally found a lasting solution: clear perspex boxes from Muji.

Pretty jewellery boxes with fancy opening mechanisms and hidden compartments are all well and good if you don't have that many bits, but with the likes of Primark, Boots, Superdrug, Peacocks, etc. churning out fabulous bling for a couple of quid, my collection has exploded!

I don't have time to regularly organise my jewellery or to root through it all for the piece I need on busy mornings.  The Muji boxes are great because you can see what you need before you open them! In fact, I think they nicked my idea as before I discovered them I stored my earrings and rings in empty flat Ferrero Rocher chocolate boxes as the little compartments were perfect for keeping everything separate and organised!  However they looked so tacky I kept them hidden under my dressing table rather than on it!

The Muji boxes aren't the prettiest pieces to adorn your dressing table, but their utilitarian quality outweighs this.

I have two different types and stack them as the bottom one is just a pull-out drawer:

The two-tiered box has a pull-out drawer and a lift up lid.  It's £13.95 and you can check out this one here.When I bought it I thought it was daylight robbery for a plastic box, but it's been so useful I don't regret the cost at all now.

In both boxes the inner compartments can be completely rearranged to suit the sizes that you need.   

I keep rings and the bits I wear most often in the top compartment and earrings and pendants in the bottom.

I keep larger pieces and watches in the bigger box.  This one cost £11.95 and you can order it from here.

How the large one looks empty:

All pulled out:

I still keep a few bits of costume jewellery that I hardly ever wear in another box, but I'm thinking of picking up a few more of the larger flat boxes to stack and have all my bling in one place!

The downside to storing your jewellery in this way is that it's more exposed to the air, so cheap metals and silver oxidise and discolour faster than if stored in a more air-tight box.  At least you can clean silver, but your cheap bling from Primark will 'go bad' quicker.

Click here to see the full range of Muji jewellery boxes. 

To enter my makeup giveaway click here for more deets!
(Closes 27th November)

Pretty Bow Ring

I've only ever come across jewellery in the small Boots near Oxford Circus and recently I spotted this cute bow ring.  I've been wearing it almost constantly since I got it and thankfully it hasn't been catching on things like I thought it would as it's quite raised up.  I expected the pearls to fall out within days but I've been wearing it for about three weeks now and all are still intact despite going through countless hand-washings (I never take rings off and leave them on the sink after losing too many lovelies!).

Until about two years ago I hated gold and thought it looked chavvy-cheap, but since it's been somewhat reclaimed by normal people, I've come to accept that it suits my colouring better than silver, which can look a bit hippy-ish.  This ring of course isn't real gold!

It cost £5 and I think it's well worth it!

Pretty Jewels

Sadly I missed out on the Primark tan mini-satchel bag which I made a special trip for.  I haven't been able to find any pictures of it online, but if someone knows the one I'm talking about, please tell me if you know of a Primark that still stocks it! All I can say about it is that it's very Alexa Chung.  I don't particularly like her style, but the bag is adorable.  Anyway, I consoled myself with these lovelies:

Rawr!

I like Primark jewellery, I tend to be a bit scatty and lose/break nice pieces, so cheap and cheerful suits me just fine!  The ring and two sets of studs were £2 an each.   So cute!