OOTD- My Heart Skips a Beat

I wanted to share with you my new purchase which I'm sure will become one of my 'most worn' items. It's this gorgeous jacquard/ Aztec knit cardigan from New Look which I bought yesterday. It's not something I normally go for, I was really looking for a black and white cardigan but I spotted this and knew immediately I had to buy it! Okay, so it's made of Nylon and Acrylic and it's not the softest of cardigans (it's not itchy at all though!) but it's only £27.99 compared to the £50+ prices of very similar items from Topshop and River Island! Don't be fooled, this doesn't look cheap in person and I can't wait to layer it up so I'm all snug over Christmas.

I've paired this Cardigan with my *new* Leigh Jeans from Topshop. I lost my other ones for about 3 weeks and in a panic ordered the coated ones to replace them by mistake. However I love the coated jeans, there is something about them that makes my legs look all skinny and long when I wear them which is a bonus. For those wondering, I found my old jeans 2 days after buying some more, so now I have two pairs of black jeans to alternate (I wear them a lot!).

I'm also wearing a plain, black 3/4 sleeve top from H&M as I really wanted to show this knit off to it's full potential. Lastly I can't miss out the cute earrings I picked up from Primark and this super cosy snood- also from Primark! As you may have noticed, I don't wear a lot of jewellery other than earrings and my signet ring (on my little finger) . I think it's because I find it too fussy for Sixth Form but I'd like to start wearing more if anyone has any suggestions of nice pieces.

On a side note, I like how my hair looks today. I don't think I've ever shown it 'up' but yesterday I curled it and so today I thought I'd put it into a messy ponytail. I like to wrap a bit of hair round the band- I think it finishes it off nicely! I'm trying to grow my fringe out and although I'd like it a tiny bit longer round my face, I not as afraid to go out without clipping it out of my face as I was. Finally I wanted to say that I just can't wait until Christmas! Our decorations are going up tomorrow and I hope to squeeze in some last minute Christmas shopping into the next couple of weeks. Sorry for the super long ramble, I had a lot to say today!

xxx

Cardigan- New Look (it's in the shops but I can't find it on line)

Plain Black Top- H&M

Black Coated Leigh Jeans- Topshop

Bag- Miss Selfridge

Earrings- Topshop

Ring- Topshop

Snood- Primark

Album I'm currently listening to: Olly Murs- In Case You Didn't Know

(Did anybody notice the reference in the title of this post? I'm obsessed!)

My favourite Red

Firstly, apologies for the hideously huge pictures of my lips but here I am wearing my new lipstick from Mac in 'So Chaud' and I was desperate to do a post on what it looks like on! I rarely buy bright colours and have only ever bought one other red lipstick-which ended up being the most unflattering shade imaginable and made my teeth look yellow (not a good look!). Since then I'd been nervous of reds, but still in the back of my mind wanted one, if only I could find a shade to suit me. 

I recently had collected six Mac empties to 'Back 2 Mac' and I decided to go for a colour I wouldn't normally purchase. I'd seen Louise from Made in Chelsea wear a red lipstick that had a lot of orange tones rather than the usually blue tones and thought that it was gorgeous, so the lady in Mac helped me pick this one out. It's not an exact copy of Louise's lipstick (I'm still on the hunt for that shade!) but I really love it. Its matt which I wouldn't normally go for but I think the fact that it is matt makes it a lot more wearable than other reds. I've never really heard of anyone talk about this lipstick but I think it's one that people need to have in their collection!

Red lipsticks are really on trend at the moment and they are the perfect way to jazz up a LBD for a night out. I can't wait to wear this for the Christmas party season as I think this lipstick is so festive! Hope everyone has had a lovely week and is looking forward to Christmas. Do you wear red lipstick?

xxx

Mac Lipstick- So Chaud

Colour Block Top

Just a quick post to show you my new top that I'm loving right now! I bought this after watching Corrie's November 2011 haul video (watch it here) and I'm so glad I did. If you haven't already heard of her blog (which I'm sure you have!) it's Dizzybrunette3, she's one of my favourite bloggers/ youtubers! :)

I love the peter pan collar on this top and how it contrasts with the cream. This colour combination is so classy and elegant- very Coco Chanel! I often find myself reaching for black or cream pieces but I think they suit me, perhaps I'll try and inject some colour into my wardrobe soon, we'll see! This top would look perfect during the day or for a night out. It's quite thick material so although it only has short sleeves it works really well for Autumn/ Winter. At £22 it's very reasonably priced and feels lovely quality! The only thing I will say is that it's quite short! I tried to photograph this to show you but it's hard to see. This is fine for me as I'm only 5ft 4, but taller people should bear that in mind. It does however look great with high waisted skirts and shorts which is my favourite way to wear it anyway. Other than that, this is a gorgeous top, very on trend with the peter pan collar and colour block detail, it would look lovely on everyone. 

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, I got so caught up with Sixth Form work and didn't get time to photograph any of my outfits or recent beauty purchases but I've got some ideas for more posts now so I will try and get those uploaded soon!

xxx

Top- ASOS (Click Here!)

Skirt- Primark

Nails- Barry M Nail Effects 'Silver Foil' with Mac 'Unconditionally Fabulous' layered on top

OOTD- A lazy Sunday

This is an outfit of the day full of bargains. I'm not normally the kind of person that's good at picking things up in the sale, or finding the nice things in Primark but I think I might have turned a corner! I adore leopard print and I'm sure it will feature much more in my OOTD's, I think it's become my signature print- I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not! I picked up this coat in the River Island sale a few weeks ago after deciding I was never going to be able to afford a fur coat. It was £35 reduced from £90, I couldn't believe my luck! The trick is to make sure you know when the sale is going live, then make sure you log on as early in the morning as possible to get the bargains, this sold out the first day of the sale so I was incredibly lucky to get it. I know it's not to everyone's taste but I think it's gorgeous! 

The boots were another sale find, this time from New Look, they were reduced from £29.99 to £19.99 and with my student discount I got them for just £16.99. 

A close up picture of these beauties

The final bargain was this faux leather pleated skirt from Primark at just £14, as soon as I saw it I just knew it had to be mine. I wore it out last night and spotted two people wearing what I thought was this exact skirt however when I asked them it turns out they were wearing ones from Oasis which cost them £45! They look identical so you can imagine how chuffed I felt for having found one for such a bargain.

I hope you like today's location for my OOTD. It's an old Church near my house, something a bit different, however I did get a few odd looks from passers by wondering what I was doing being photographed there! 

Coat- River Island £35 

Jumper- Topshop £42

Skirt- Primark £14

Tights- Primark £2.50 

Boots- New Look £16.99

Cross Earrings- Urban Outfitters £10

Have you got any bargains recently? I hope I find more soon!

xxx

Winter Treats Haul

Here's a few things I picked up last time I went shopping. They are mainly from Primark, which I don't normally shop in, but they have got it so right with their latest Winter accessory line, I still can't get enough, I would like to pop back soon and see if they have a few more Pj sets in my size!

1) Fluffy, fleece lined Winter slipper socks

Primark

2) I love these novelty Christmas socks! I know it's only October but I couldn't resist- and how cute is that Penguin?!

Primark

 3) Cute Winter Pyjamas! Probably going to need an extra thick duvet if I wear these to bed 

Primark

4) A hot chocolate and my favourite magazine- I love Grazia!

Mug- Pastimes

Grazia Magazine- £1 this week only :)

I know it's early to be getting into the Winter Spirit but I really think Winter and the build up to Christmas is my favourite time of year (I'm not too keen on the few months after Christmas though!) 

Have you been getting into the Winter Spirit?

xxx

Skin Care Haul

I thought I'd share some recent skincare additions I've bought over the past month, some are new and some I've re-purchased again and again- that's just how much I love them!

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

I've been using this for ages! I started incorporating this into my skincare regime long before I knew about blogging and long before I knew about the hype that surrounded it. It was my mum who actually introduced this to me a few years ago as I was having problems with my skin and I've been using it ever since! I have tried some products in between using this but nothing is as good, my skin feels softer and clearer after using this, I love it.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

I've been using this once a week for a month now and I love this! It's a thick cream you put on your face before bed and when you wake up just wash it (or cleanse it) away and your skin feels so smooth and soft. I suffer from patches of extremely dry and sensitive skin on my face and this really helps it to recover.

Origins Vitazing

I received a sample of this moisturiser when I used my face mask and now can't live without it! It's a bit pricey at £26 but it really makes makes my skin glow before make up! It has a releases a sheer tint as you rub it in but this has no coverage, you would still need to wear foundation or tinted moisturiser over the top. This is a lovely product!

Johnson's Gentle Eye make-up Remover Pads

These remove eye make up and mascara like a dream. It claims they also remove water proof mascara as well although I haven't tried this. They are surprisingly moisurising and non greasy. 

Nivea Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes

I've not tried these so I don't know how good they are but I hope they are alright for my skin! I only use face wipes when I come in from nights out so fingers crossed they work nicely :) 

What skin care products are you loving? What have you bought recently?

OOTD The Luxe Look

Today I went for the effortless 'Luxe' look. After admiring Lucy's Topshop jumper (I've linked this blog once before, I love it!)- for what seemed like forever, I finally decided I needed it for myself! It's so soft and I love the cute bow detail on the back- little things like that really make an outfit in my opinion. I paired it with a velvet skirt- also from Topshop. It's a really cute body-con skirt with a raised gold spot detail all over and I love the contrast between the baggy, comfy jumper and the smart, dressy skirt. This is exactly the kind of outfit that I adore. It's everyday glamorous, but it's created so easily by throwing on some key A/W pieces and without too much effort.

I know this skirt is going to be a staple piece in my Autumn/ Winter wardrobe because it goes with so many things. You can make it work in the daytime as I've done by pairing it with jumpers, long socks or tights, yet it could be accessorised and worn with heels for a cute evening outfit too.

On a side note, I'm still trying to find different backgrounds for my OOTD's. This one was taken outside my house so it was really convenient but I will try and take some pictures when I'm out and about- providing I find somewhere private enough to take a few photos! 

So what do you think? Do you like the 'Luxe' look?

Jumper- Topshop

Skirt- Topshop

Shoes- Topshop

Cross Necklace- Topshop

Tights- (unsure of where I bought these)

Bag - Miss Selfridge

I really didn't realise how Topshop- heavy this post was going to be today- as you can tell I really took advantage of the 20% off for students they were offering a little while ago!

Sometimes you just have to..

Every once in a while we all make a seemingly crazy, expensive purchase that makes us giddily happy, and after my 18th birthday that's exactly what I did. I bought the Alexander Mcqueen Silk Skull Scarf a few weeks ago and I adore it! McQueen is one of my favourite couture designers and it's so sad that he's not here any more. His gorgeous skull images are what caught my eye and for the longest time I've been lusting over his scarfs, knowing it would give me so much joy to say I own a piece of McQueen.

As you can imagine, it took me weeks to decide on which colour to go for but after pouring over the website again and again I decided upon the black version with flesh pink skulls. It's slightly more unusual than the Ivory and Black scarf (I would have loved this but couldn't justify spending the money on such an impractical colour!) but nonetheless it goes with so many clothes from my wardrobe!

I've been dying to do an OOTD to show you all but I've always been rushing out so haven't had time. I did however manage one quick photo before my camera died the other day (when it was hot in October, remember?!) so that will have to do for now. Here is the scarf in all its glory!

A better OOTD will follow I promise, I just wanted to give you all an idea of what it looks like on!

Small haul and my Mac palette so far!

 

Today I had a little splurge! I had a bit of money left over from my birthday so bought myself a few goodies. The eye-shadows were for my new palette which you can see more clearly further down this post. I also got a cute cross necklace from Topshop which I love! It matches my ring and makes me so happy when I wear it.

 I got another Creme D'Nude lipstick from Mac as I'm already running low on my last one! The other lipstick is from Topshop, it's called Pillow Talk and I think it could be the ultimate baby pink. It's creamy, opaque and looks gorgeous on. I've been trying to find something similar from Mac but this is honestly the best pink lipstick I have ever found. 

The candle is from John Lewis and it's made by a company called Lily Flame. I've always been a Yankee Candle lover but I couldn't resist this packaging. It has a  lovely floral, fruity, sweet scent- as you can tell I'm not very good at describing scents! 

Finally this gorgeous fluffy pink jumper is from Topshop. It has the cutest bow detail on the back and I know I'll get a lot of wear out of it. To see it more clearly here is the link. I'm sure it will feature on an OOTD very soon!  

This is my Mac palette so far! Only 6 more shadows and it's full. I'm having so much fun picking out colours already :) 

From left to right:

Top Row- Vanilla, Jest, Espresso

Middle Row- Mulch, Sable, Woodwinked

Bottom Row- Coppering, Cranberry, Amber Lights

Seeing Stripes

Today I wore my H&M stripe top with my black Leigh jeans- I was so pleased to see Lucy blog about them here!- they are so comfy and slim fitting and they look classier than leggings in my opinion (although I'm not going to stop wearing them!). I love this look, its simple yet tucking in the top makes it appear different and cute. The top has gorgeous slouchy sleeves which is one of the reasons I love it. I am wearing the new I got for my 18th, it's from Miss Selfridge and I love it. It's the perfect size and since it incorporates brown and black detail, it will look great with everything. I also adore the hardware detail on the side, toughening it up, I absolutely love the androgynous look at the moment. I think I might even do a 'What's in my Bag' post if anyone is interested?

Also is anybody else in love with E4 Made In Chelsea?! I want their style so much, if only I had unlimited money.. The girls are in this month's Glamour if you're interested in reading a bit about their style.

Top- H&M

Leigh Jeans- Topshop

Shoes- Primark

Cross Ring- Topshop

Bracelet- Topshop

Skull Earrings- Topshop (can you tell I like Topshop at the moment!?)

Bag- Miss Selfridge

18th Birthday

Sorry I've not posted for a while, I've been caught up with going back to sixth form, university open days and (most importantly!) my 18th birthday which was on the 14th September! I had a lovely day which started with home made  banana pancakes with strawberries, lovely! I didn't really get a lot of presents as my main gift was a family ring which I now wear every day on my little finger, although I did get a Miss Selfridge bag from my brother and a Mac Palette from my best friend (blog posts to come!). I had a lovely lunch with my friends at a local pub and rounded the day off with champagne and lemon curd birthday cake. All in all a good day I'd say! 

Black Top - H&M

Skirt- River Island

Cardigan- River Island

Aztec Earrings- Primark

Guess Watch- (a birthday present a couple of years ago!)

This weekend I also went out to a Mexican restaurant called Chimichanga with my friends. The food was delicious, I recommend it and need to get back there as there were so many lovely looking things on the menu I just wanted to try everything. The dress I wore is from Misguided and was a  bargain at £21.99! I love the peter pan collar detail, there are so many about as they're very much in style at the moment. The lace strips are also a gorgeous detail. I paired it with long socks and my new brogues- probably the last time I will wear them as they give me terrible blisters *weep*. I can do a post on what make up I wore if anyone is interested? I used some new false eyelashes (Eylure 070) which I am in love with! They look so natural but amazing at the same time. Also, apologies for the quality of the photos below, my camera had very little charge left and decided it would focus, you get the idea though!

Dress- Misguided

Socks- (I'm unsure but I think you can get them in places like Topshop, River Island, ASOS etc.)

Loafers- River Island

Skull Earrings- Topshop

Garnier BB Cream- Worth the hype?

Once I know there is a hype on a particular beauty product, I feel I need it. So if I hear something is selling out across the country, I immediately rush and buy it! I wanted to know for myself if this BB Cream was worth all the hype I'd heard about it. I got it for £7.99 from my local Superdrug 

store.

BB Creams (the BB stands for Blemish Balm) were developed initially to calm and restore skin but to provide coverage at the same time, they were a huge craze in Asia and now it seems that they're coming to the UK and US market too.

What does Garnier say about this BB Cream? 

The formula with mineral pigments gives an instantly ‘perfect’ skin. The result? Sheer coverage; imperfections look blurred, lines softened

Your skin looks luminous, smoother and more even

24hr hydration: Skin feels more supple, smoother and softer

UV protection: SPF15 to help protect the skin

My Opinions

The cream has a similar texture to a tinted moisturiser but has more coverage. It sits nicely in between a tinted moisturiser and a foundation so concealer would still be needed (although I always wear concealer with my foundation so this is not an issue). The colour is perfect for me and it feels very hydrating once applied but settles somewhat so there is no long lasting greasy feeling on your skin, instead you feel like you are wearing a moisturiser. 

I wanted to photograph how it looked on my face but unfortunately with flash photography I found it to appear oily looking on my T-Zone. However it did not make my skin look oily in real life so as long as you aren't taking any photos this should be fine. I found setting this with a powder dramatically reduced the shine in photos so that's also an option! Next time I do a FOTD I will try and wear my BB Cream to show you what it looks like but essentially is looks like healthy, moisturised skin.

I took a couple of pictures to show you the texture of the cream

A small amount goes a long way

Obviously you'd blend it more than I have here!

All in all I really like this BB Cream and would like to try more for comparisons. Its light and natural so would be perfect for me for sixth form. I haven't worn this for a full day yet so might have to update you on the longevity of it but fingers crossed it lasts (I have read other blogs which say it does last all day!). 

Have any of you tried BB Creams? Which ones? I feel I've only scratched the surface of the world of BB Creams and I'm already eager to try more out! 

Skin Care Part I

I thought I'd share my favourite skin care products with you all as I'm always fascinated by what products people use! I've divided it into two parts, the first includes my make up removers, exfoliator and face mask, whilst the second part will focus on moisturisers etc! Just to let you know, my skin is normal to dry with the occasional break out, these are the products that work best for me, but they might not for you.

From left to right:

Soap and Glory 'The Fab Pore 15 Minute Facial Peel'

I'm not sure why this is called a peel as it has the consistency of a clay mask and doesn't 'peel off' but nonetheless this is a lovely mask. It smells fresh and minty and is a dream to apply with its thick texture. It has some pretty nifty ingredients and I think it really works! I don't have oily skin which I believe is the skin type this mask is marketed towards but I love how effective it is on outbreaks of spots. I use this once a week and my skin always feels brighter and softer after using this product. 

Botanics 'Organic Rosewater Toner'

This is my all time favourite toner. I've been using this for a long time now and keep repurchasing it. When I noticed the Botanics range was 3 for 2 in Boots I bought 3 of these last week saving myself a lovely £4.07. I love this smell of the toner, its a very strong rosewater scent (as the name suggests!) but not overpowering. I've tried other rosewater toners and none of them smell as lovely as this one. It soothes my dry skin and doesn't make my face feel tight after using it, all in all a great product!

Soap and Glory 'The Greatest Scrub of All'

This scrub is excellent because the exfoliation particles are so tiny! When you squeeze a little out of the tube you can't even see the grains which makes this exfoliator especially good as its very non abrasive. One thing I can't stand is a scrub that scratches and hurts to use, they defiantly aren't good for your skin as you only want to remove the very top layer of dead skin cells. It makes my skin feel lovely and soft.

Liz Earle 'Cleanse & Polish'

This is my favourite cleanser of all time! Its thick texture glides on and removes my make up effortlessly. My skin feels unbelievable soft and bright after using this and its very soothing. I use this with the muslin cloth it comes with and I think this is key to achieving the best results when you use this. The cleanser is extremely gentle and moisturising and above all it clears my skin up every time I have a break out! It's an amazing product and I cannot recommend it enough.

L'Oreal 'Dermo-Expertise Gentle Eye Make Up Remover'

This is a firm favourite because it doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes. I don't find it to be too oily and it removes my eye make up easily (however it didn't work so well on my water proof mascara, as I only wear this on holiday I'm not too bothered). It leaves my eyes feeling refreshed and its not very expensive at all! Very good all round.

I hope you like this post, 'Part II' to follow shortly!

Smoky Canvas

I don't really wear nail polish on my finger nails very often. This is purely because for a year now I've been getting acrylic nails on a regular basis. I love wearing different colours on my nails but having a French Manicure always makes me feel groomed. Yesterday, however, I bravely bought a new colour from Revlon, its called 'Smoky Canvas' and I love it! It happens to be the perfect grey colour but with a hint of taupe thrown in. It's also a dream to apply, with one coat achieving the colour in the bottle and covering my usual white tips, as opposed to the usual 2/3 coats I need of other nail polishes. It also dried quickly, in about 5 minutes. I think this is a gorgeous colour, if you've never tried a grey nail polish then this is the one you should go for, it's lovely!

New Favourite Shoes

 

I bought these gorgeous patent loafers on Sunday from River Island and had to show them! I really wanted some and my mum spotted these, they are everything that wanted them to be. I look the gold metal detail and the tiny strips of gold peeking out by the sole. I also think the inside of these shoes are lovely, the camel colour makes them look really expensive and even though you can't see it when they're on, these extra touches really finish them off (as we know by previous posts, I love camel)! I don't think these pictures do them enough justice!

Black Patent Loafers- River Island £30

OOTD Sunday

I hope you're not bored of the scenery! I need to find somewhere else for pictures, I've been hunting for possible places today so hopefully I can show you my outfits somewhere else next time!

I've been obsessed with the rust/ orange/ brown clothes in the shops at the moment, so when I saw these leggings in River Island for £10 I had to have them! I really love them but I'm not sure they're to everyone's taste, I hope other people appreciate them as much as I do. I've been on the hunt for a pair of jeans this colour but I've yet to find the definitive pair so these will have to do for now! 

I like this top (and as you may be able to tell from my previous post, I love stripes!). It's baggy but has fitted sleeves and doesn't look too huge when its on. I really like baggy things at the moment,  they remind me of the 'boyfriend trend' and I'm really pleased with how it looks laid back, yet cute all at once.

Do you like my cross ring? I've wanted one for the longest time and Topshop suddenly came out with this. I rarely buy jewellery but I needed to get the ring - it really is the finishing touch to all my outfits. Not sure if I'd wear these pumps with this outfit but I needed some for the photo. I bought some absolutely gorgeous shoes today that would look perfect with it so I'll do a blog post on them soon! Sorry for the ramble, I hope you like what I'm wearing :)

Stripe Top- River Island 

Leggings- H&M

Cross Ring- Topshop

Leopard Print Ballet Pumps- Miss Selfridge

Earrings (Skulls)- Topshop

My New Love

I think I'm in love with the colour 'camel'. I was last year, I am this year and I think I will be for years to come. The changes in season can always be noted by the colours of the clothes in the shops. I'm in love with all the Autumnal colours that can be seen at the moment and there's no denying it, camel is in. 

The quality of clothes is important to me. I'd never buy anything scratchy or that feels too cheap. This is why I love the jumper and skirt, they're both so soft, lovely for snuggling up on Autumn nights.

In my last post I showed you the pieces I had recently bought, so here is a few pictures of me wearing them- I'm a firm believer in trying things on even if they look strange on  the hanger so I thought you might like to see me actually wearing the clothes. It was pretty sunny when these pictures were taken so I had to stay in the same shady spot in my garden, I hope you don't get too bored of this, I have a few more outfits to show you standing there! 

Jumper- H&M

Maxi Skirt- River Island

Leggings- Topshop

Leopard Print Ballet Pumps - Miss Selfridge

Buckle Shoes- River Island