Thursday 30 January 2014

Brand New // Staring at Stars Grunge Lace Tunic




Say hello to my new favourite top! I've got a little haul planned for the next couple of days, but I wanted this purchase to have its own post.

Although it's oversized anyway, I can get away with this as a short dress. Here I just wore it with my trusty riding pants featured in this OOTD post. The top itself is a crepe like material, with a lace insert all over the chest area and back. The back drops into a deep-v which I really like, it makes it very unique for my wardrobe. Like most clothes I gravitate towards, this can be worn both casually or dressed up, and flowing or tucked into something. I rolled the sleeves up while taking these photos, but they also look nice untouched, coming to the elbow.

I bought this tunic in Urban Outfitters with a gift card I kindly received for Christmas, and I'm incredibly happy with my purchase! Let me know what you think of it and what you would pair with it!
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Sunday 26 January 2014

Spotlight Item // Romwe Studded Ankle Boots

Another spotlight item that I probably couldn't live without: this time being my Romwe boots. They have been featured in an OOTD style post on here, but I felt more detail was in order. I wear these boots all the time because 1. They go with everything and 2. They are SO comfy. And when I say all the time I really do mean that when I leave the house, there is about a 95% chance I will be wearing these.

The boots aren't real leather (they're PU) but they are very soft while being durable and waterproof. They are also so light - when the box arrived at my door I honestly thought there wasn't anything in it! I have trouble wearing super flat shoes because they hurt my feet, so I always like to go for a thick sole. And, being short, I love that these give me height on a day to day basis. The studs are actually quite sharp though so be warned - you can see in these photos that they've dented the sole where I've obviously been resting both of my feet together. I don't mind though, I like the worn look.

However, speaking of the worn look, although there are very minor flaws showing through now, (and in hindsight I should have washed these before taking photos, sorry) I've worn these constantly for over 4 months now and they're still in great condition. Being black and the perfect mix between causal and dressy, they can be warn for almost every occasion: dressed up or dressed down. I think they look particularly nice with lace or glittery ankle socks.

These studded boots are running very low in stock right now, but I've still included a link because Romwe tend to restock popular items. So, what do you think of my favourite boots? Do you have a pair you wear all the time?
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Thursday 23 January 2014

Review // MUA Heaven and Earth & Undressed Palettes

Although not new to the makeup world, I bought these palettes just after Christmas, and after testing them out most days since I feel a little review is in order. Here are the Heaven and Earth, and Undressed MUA Eyeshadow Palettes (I did want Undress Me Too as well, but alas it was sold out in the Superdrug I was in).


The Heaven & Earth palette consists of all neutral shimmery shades. I find them really soft and creamy which I was a little surprised about (I'd heard they were good but at this cheap I didn't think they'd be this good) and they all blend very well. The colours are all gorgeous and I've worn every one at some point - I love shimmery neutral eyes. Supposedly this is a great dupe for the Urban Decay Naked palette. I don't actually own the first but from comparing photos I can agree.



Speaking of Naked palettes, Undressed is a great dupe for the Naked 2! This one I actually own, and although there are subtle differences I think it would be a great option for someone who can't afford the Urban Decay price. Again, a neutral palette with very creamy soft, blendable shadows, although this one also features matte shades.

Overall the pigmentation of both palettes is good, especially at such a cheap price. The only shadows I thought were lacking a little when applied were shades 11 and 12 in the Undressed palette. However I do recommend wearing a base to help with the colour. I've been wearing a small about of Maybelline's Colour Tattoo 24 Hour Cream Gel Eyeshadow in On & On Bronze underneath, because I find it adds just that tiny bit of colour that these shadows lack, but other primers work well too. With this range of shades you can create just about any look - I think they should be a staple in any neutral lover's makeup bag. I haven't included swatches as honestly, I forgot! However here is a blog post I have found with both.

These palettes retail at £4 each in Superdrug which is an absolute bargain. I haven't used the sponges that come with because I prefer brushes, but they actually look like good quality ones. I don't have a favourite palette as I tend to mix and match shades from both, and they have both quickly become go to products for me. Have you tried either of these palettes? What were your thoughts?

(Apologies for the slightly washed out look of the close ups)
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Tuesday 21 January 2014

Review // Soap & Glory Sugar Crush

After lusting over these products for a very long time, I finally received the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush line in my Christmas stocking! After using each item pretty much every day since, I thought I should share my thoughts.

First of all, the smell. Oh my, it's heavenly. Every item smells of fresh limes, and as a citrus scent junkie I love it. The scent does last a while on the skin, but it's not so overpowering that it'll spoil your perfume.

The Fresh & Foamy Body Wash is really great to use: the lime scent wakes you up and makes you feel all fresh and clean. The shower gel itself is quite thick and lathers up nicely. I have to say I'm not fussy when it comes to shower gels, but I would definitely repurchase this one again!


Ah, the Body Scrub. This stuff is amazing. I have dry skin and this manages to both exfoliate and leave my skin feeling somewhat moisturised. I like that it's quite gloopy because you can use it without half your scrub falling off and being carried away by the water. I find that it's not too rough, while still doing a great job at removing dry skin. I use this roughly three times a week, but for extremely dry skin you can use it as often as you need.


I thought I'd found the winner when I used the scrub, but nope, the Body Buttercream is definitely my favourite. Especially when following up the scrub! I've used the Body Shop Body Butters for a while after not liking any other body moisturisers that I had tried, but this is so much better. Unlike the Body Butters it feels spongy, and sinks into the skin straight away. It feels really light and not greasy at all - you can put on clothes straight away without feeling all sticky, yay!

Overall I am so impressed by the Sugar Crush line - I love Soap & Glory so I knew I would like it, but I wasn't thinking I'd enjoy using it so much. I now look forward to my showers! If you like the scent of limes and great quality body products, I recommend these. They are affordable, and Boots often have them and their other products on offer. Have you tried this line? Did you enjoy using it as much as I am?
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Sunday 19 January 2014

What I've Been Up To // Frozen and Shopping



Yesterday I ventured into town with my sister to finally see Frozen (I liked the story, characters and score and the animation was flawless, but I wasn't that impressed with the songs. Or the snowman. I feel like the only person who was annoyed by him. But it's really good, go and see it if you can!) and to spend some gift cards I still had from Christmas.


I'd like to make little update posts like this every once in a while, just some quick and snappy "hey I did this" stuff. I don't want this blog to be full of reviews and outfits and hauls, with no personality. And although this isn't so much of an OOTD post, I thought my favourite kitty cat skirt (from H&M) should make its first appearance on my blog. I picked up a few things so I'll  probably make a mini haul post within the next few days. Hope you are all having a good weekend folks, let me know what you got up to!
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Thursday 16 January 2014

Haul // Cut Out Black Suede Heels

Does one item count as a haul? Well, it does now. These shoes have been my only purchase of 2014 (excluding food, train tickets and a well-needed moisturiser) and I have to say, I picked well. I've been holding off spending money recently, but I spotted these and just had to get them.

The shoes themselves are faux suede with wrap round straps with a silver buckle, and they have a peeptoe. The heel height is approximately 4.5-5", and the platform means that your foot isn't at such a sharp angle, ultimately making them comfier to wear. I think the cut out detail is so pretty, and I'm a sucker for platform shoes.


I've not worn them out and about yet, but from wearing them around my house they feel nice and soft and relatively comfortable and easy to walk in. They were cheap, but they seem good quality to me, so I have no doubt they'll last. I think they'll go with many outfits, both casual and dressy, and I'm really looking forward to showing them off in the real world! I'm sure they'll show up on this blog again styled with a full outfit sometime in the future.

You can buy these for around the £20 mark on eBay. Let me know what you think about them, I'm interested to hear what you would pair them with!

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Sunday 12 January 2014

Spotlight Item // 4head Stick

Welcome to a new series I'll be starting, the Spotlight Item series. Every now and then I'll pick an item (whether it be fashion, beauty or something else entirely related) and make a blog post raving about it - as simple as. This week, although not glamorous, I wanted to talk about 4head, an external use headache reliever.
I personally get a lot of headaches during college, because we are constantly turning the lights on and off to watch power points or the like on a big screen on the wall. I just seem to have a real sensitivity to extreme light change. But this product is amazing. My mum actually bought it for me originally, but I just purchased my second. The active ingredient in the stick is levomenthol, and when you rub it on your forehead (don't worry, it doesn't wipe your foundation off!) it begins to tingle and cool, and soon enough the painkiller kicks in.



I will say now, this product never helps me once I'm in the middle of a bad headache. But, if I can feel the beginning of that horrible ache, I quickly apply this and it stops it in its tracks. I find if I have an awful headache and do have to take something like paracetamol, applying this alongside makes the getting-rid-of process a lot more soothing. It can be used by people of all ages, and can be applied as often as needed, unlike internal medication.

As you can see in the photo above, the product is tiny which makes it perfect to carry anywhere. It is discrete and you don't need to worry about taking any pills. I know at my old high school, we weren't allowed any medication on campus, so this would be perfect for anyone in that situation. The only thing I can flaw this on, is that sometimes after applying this to my forehead, my eyes will get a little watery as the menthol smell is quite strong. As with any medication, there are possible side effects (listed in the included information leaflet), and this one is so minor that I can look past it.

While available in various supermarkets and pharmacies for around and under the £5 mark, 4head is currently on offer in Boots. Let me know if you give it a shot!

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Thursday 9 January 2014

Haul // Kukee Jewellery




















Just before Christmas, I abused Kukee's "spend over £30 and get £10 off your order" offer, and today this is what I was happily greeted with. 
























I love ordering from Kukee. The packaging is always lovely, the products are super cheap (but great quality!), and everything is gorgeous. I've got a little bit of an obsession with moons, so I am very happy with this order. I will however be purchasing another dainty moon necklace I just spotted on the website though, shh.


















I've listed those still available, and some are even on sale now so grab them while you can! Their popular products are often re-stocked so if something you like here is sold out, keep a look out, you may get lucky later! Feel free to let me know which items you like, I particularly love my Cut Out Moon and Femme Fatal necklaces.
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Tuesday 7 January 2014

Outfit of the Day // The Comfiest Riding Pants

When I dress for a day at college, comfort is my main objective. Which is why I was so happy to be able to wear my new Topshop riding pants out for the first time.





















They are made with this gorgeous thick ribbed material, which makes them nice and warm for these winter months. The vertical lines plus the panelling at the knee area also do a really great job of making your legs look narrower and longer. I've only worn them casually so far (I've only had them a week) but I know they'll look amazing dressed up with the high waistline - they seem like a great alternative to disco pants which I basically live in so I can tell I'll get a lot of use out of them. I'll admit when I first tried them on I had to wiggle a little to get them up, but since that first time they've been a perfect fit!



Today I styled them with a massively oversized cream jumper (my gran actually knitted this for my dad about thirty years ago but I've claimed it as my own), my Hamsa Palm necklace from Kukee, and my favourite studded boots from Romwe. Everything worn is what I like to call my "ultimate comfort clothes".

And so ends my first OOTD post. I'm sure it will be the first of many. What do you like to wear when you dress purely for comfort and warmth? And what would you wear with these riding pants?
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Sunday 5 January 2014

Goodbye Holidays, Hello College

The time has come where I have to put down the film and TV shows, the delicious food, and say goodbye to my social life, because I have to go back to college tomorrow. It doesn't feel like I've been on holiday for two weeks, everything has flown by so fast! Alas, as I set my alarm for the early hours of the morning, I thought I would share with you some of my school/college/university bag essentials.

The obvious is any textbooks, reading texts, or coursework that you need. I like to organise my ring-binders by subject with different colours; it was a happy coincidence that my Pukka notebook matches. I never used to split my subjects up like this, but believe me, it makes everything so much easier to find!
The other obvious is stationary. Okay, maybe this looks a little excessive, but I use all of these at some point in a week of college, promise! Coloured pens are great for taking notes, or making notes on coursework or books, and highlighters work in the same way. It's handy to coordinate different coloured pens with different subjects etc. as it makes everything easier to differentiate between. And if you don't like writing on books or if you're not allowed to (for example with books borrowed from libraries) then writing on little post-its like the ones above are great - they're small so you don't cover up much when you stick them in a book.
Another thing I find handy to have is notecards. I bought these ones in Waterstones for 99p, but you can find them in many shops - or even better, make your own! I mostly use them for writing out definitions or for quotations I need to use in essays, and I usually colour coordinate these too. They're quite good for testing yourself with and are also really easy to carry about with you; when I have tests or exams I usually pull them out on the train - no more lugging out my massive ring-binder.
And here are my beauty/extra items. If I'm just at college for a couple of hours I don't tend to take a full make up bag with me - just a compact mirror, whatever lip product I'm using at the time, some pressed powder, and this little twist up powder brush which is great for a bag. I pictured two lip balms here because I love them both equally. I also tend to use them for different scenarios, but that's another story for another day. I also have two perfumes included because I'm indecisive. Then there's the essential hair ties and bobby pins just in case, and headphones! I always listen to music while on the train to and from college. Something else I thought worth showing was 4head, which is a roll on headache reliever. I plan to make a blog post on this within the next week but the jist of it is that you rub it on your forehead, it tingles, and your headache is gone. It's so easy to use and perfect to take to college (or anywhere else, really) because it's discrete and you don't have to go through the annoyance of taking pills.

Other things worth mentioning are a purse, mints or gum, and water. Everything above fits into my bag into little pockets. Nothing mentioned here is really that extraordinary, but hopefully you will have picked up some organisational skills. And if that fails, at least you've had a little look into my life. 

Do you think there's anything I've missed? Do you have any more tips for me?

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