Birthday Shopping, Instagramming and HAUL!!

Afternoon lovelies!!

For some bizarre reason there's been a massive gap in my posting again. I've actually got no excuse this time but I've since done a Virgo and gotten myself organised and written a list of all the posts i want to do so hopefully September will be a great month for Brunette Beauty Banter! 

September is also my BIRTHDAY month! And the big 3-0 landed on me yesterday so i took the opportunity to shop my ass off and eat lots of naughty food! So i am going to post today about all of the things that made my day so AMAZING! Expect it to be picture heavy... 

Clockwise from Top Left:

1) Started my day with Choc Chip PopTarts from my lovely housemate Sharon. 

2) Woke up to a package full of family birthday cards that my mum had forwarded to London for me.

3) AMAZING Blue Cheese burger and Sweet Potato fries at Ed's Diner with the gorgeous Yu from lets-makeyuup.com. 

4) My birthday present to myself was a new iPhone 4s. I decided to upgrade early as my 3GS really wasn't performing for me anymore. I also treated myself to two new phone cases including this super-cute Penguin case from eBay (complete BARGAIN).

 The biggest surprise of the day was my present from my housemate/landlord. In the next couple of weeks or so we will both be going off to The Ink Parlour in Shepherd's Bush to get new tattoos! It was totally unexpected but i'm so excited because it's given me a kick up the backside. I've been wanting another tattoo for about 5yrs now but never done anything about it. I know exactly what i'm going to have and where i want it so i can't wait to finally go and get it on me! I'm not telling yet though so you'll have to keep an eye on Twitter and Instagram to see what i get!

These were technically pre-birthday treats (i popped up to Streatham High Rd the day before and couldn't resist). I picked up two tops from New Look as well as my first ever purchase from Look Beauty. I got their lipstick in the shade Toffee Cup. Can't wait to post about it!! It was also the first time i've ever seen Batiste XXL in stock ANYWHERE so i grabbed the last one on the shelf and made for the till!! 

So after we'd finished feeding out faces with burgery goodness, Yu and i went for a mooch around Selfridges. I didn't go mad, buying everything i laid eyes on, but i had a good idea of what i wanted before i went in. The names floating around in my head were MAC and Illamasqua and here's what i picked up!!

I FINALLY picked up some MAC Fix+. It's been on my list forever and i've heard so much about it so i knew i wanted to get some while we were in there. I can't wait to use it and i'll probably tell you my thoughts on it at some point, but i think most of us have probably read about it and/or tried it at some point already. I had intended to pick up some eyeshadow pans for my empty MAC palette as well, but decided that that was a mission best left for another day. 

Favourite Birthday purchase by FAR has to be Illamasqua Freak Eau de Parfum. It's been my favourite smell ever since i got my first sample of it in a Glossybox but, until now, i've been surviving from sample to sample and couldn't justify buying the full size bottle. 

 This perfume is stunning in every way. I adore the bottle. It's so dark, yet there's a little snail making his way up to the top. The scent itself is everything i like in a fragrance. It's a blend of what Illamasqua calls 'Forbidden Flowers' including Poison Hemlock and Datura. It's a floral scent but it's definitely 'of the night'. 

Yup, so i had to make a little trip to Primani didn't i. Even though i seem to have spent FOREVER in there lately for various bits and pieces i needed. I wanted to go in to pick up these lush velvet wedge ankle boots i'd spied whilst in there for other things. At £20 they're on the pricier side for Primark i guess, but totally worth it! I had a totter around in them last night and they seem really comfy. I hadn't intended to pick up anything else but i saw a gorgeous baroque-style printed top/dress for £11 and snatched that up as well. 

Last purchase of the day was my first EVER Essie polish. I've seen Essie all over blogs and Instagram but it just doesn't exist where i'm from in Derbyshire. You just CANNOT get it! So when i spotted the Essie display whilst skulking around Superdrug with Yu, i got a little bit giddy! The shade i chose was Fiji as i've admired it for a while and i can't wait to do a NOTD with it!! 

So i hope this post hasn't been too long winded and photo-heavy for you, but i'm really pleased with my purchases, and really wanted to show them all to you. I was trying to go for quality, rather than quantity. The only thing i'd planned to buy, but didn't was the Origins VitaZing and i'm majorly regretting that now. Think a cheeky online purchase may be in order somewhere down the line. 

I had an absolutely AMAZING 30th Birthday and thank you to all of you that Tweeted me, commented on Instagram or wrote to me on Facebook. I felt EXTREMELY loved!!

What have YOU been hauling lately??