Top // H&M
Cardigan // Primark
Jeans // Topshop
Boots // New Look
Necklace // Primark
Rings // Forever 21, Topshop, eBay

Apologies for the awful lighting, once again. I did my best to brighten it up, but I've been battling with dark and gloomy skies the past few weeks.





This look is a bit different from my usual, in that there's actually a lot of colour! I really like wearing natural tones like this in the Spring and Summer as I'm not a big brights or pastels person which tend to be big trends during these seasons, so I like to go for soft hues like this - usually with khaki and cream involved. Sticking to the "natural" theme, I went for this feathered necklace and beaten gold rings to match. I don't really tend to wear jeans because I find leggings/disco pants far more comfortable, but these Leigh ones from Topshop are nice and soft, so I can make an exception. Then I just had to throw on a pair of casual heeled boots, and I was done!

And a little PSA for you all, I'm making a little change in regards to titling outfit posts. My "Outfit of the Day" style posts with hereafter be called "Daily Outfits". Outfit posts like this one, where I am merely throwing on a bunch of clothes to share with you (although I will undoubtedly wear those on a day to day basis too) will be named "Outfits". While I'm sure it doesn't actually affect anyone to a great degree, I thought I should let you know!

I bought this face mask about a month ago, and after using it a few times, I feel a review is in order! On the bottle, this face mask claims to; deep clean and draw out impurities, impart light hydration, and sooth stressed skin.

And I have to say, the Cocoa Butter Purifying Mask does do these things, but in moderation. I've honestly not had any fantastic disappearing acts with any blemishes, but it does make my face feel really nice, which will be down to the cocoa and shea butters. It is a kaolin clay mask, but it doesn't dry out the face, in fact once I've worn the white mask for 10-15 minutes and rinsed off as instructed on the bottle, my face feels lovely and smooth. It's even better when you slather on a moisturiser afterwards and leave it to sink in itself - your skin feels amazingly soft and soothed. But unfortunately that's the only thing I can praise this mask on!

I will keep using this, because like I said, although it doesn't seem to be sorting out my skin on the blemish front, it leaves me feeling fresh-faced and smooth, and it does have a cooling effect which makes it a pleasure to use. But, like all skincare items, please keep in mind that everyone will react to this differently!

The Palmer's Cocoa Butter Purifying Face Mask is currently £3.99 in Superdrug. Even for its non-discounted price of £5.99 I'd say it's worth giving the mask a shot, it's definitely one of the cheapest masks I've seen that comes in permanent packing (aka not a sachet). It's not a miracle worker, but it's a nice product to use when you feel like pampering yourself!

Today I'll be sharing a tutorial I've created for this Lydia Martin look. I'm a big fan of Teen Wolf and Holland Roden, and adore her style (and I love braids), so it only felt fitting. The look itself is two braids arranged into a headband shape. I've tried to explain and show it as simply as possible, but if you have any questions just ask me in the comments!
You will need: a hair brush, bobby pins and elastics. Optional is a texturising spray to add some more, well, texture and grip, and some kind of curling tong to curl the pieces of hair left out of the braids.

Before beginning, my hair was fairly wavy as I had slept with it in a twisted bun. I'd suggest having some kind of movement in your hair if you'd like it to be like Lydia's, but I have no doubt this hairstyle would be just as nice with straighter hair. I also suggest giving yourself a centre or close-to-centre part, so that your braids can be of equal size.
Step 1: After brushing through and spraying and scrunching my hair with VO5's Give Me Texture Dry Texturising Spray, I sectioned off the hair before my ear on each side of my head, and pinned them out of the way. If you have a fringe of some sort and want to leave it down, then feel free to.
Step 2: Now to start braiding. Split your hair into two down the middle, and braid each section. Make sure to start your braid fairly low down, you'll be wrapping the hair over your head so you don't want any awkward lumps. Just make sure to check it looks good every now and then by lifting it up against your head. Once braided, tie the ends with an elastic and then gently tug at the braids to make them larger.
Step 3: Once braided, let down those small pieces that were pinned up earlier. To recreate Lydia's look, pin half of each section back, just behind the ear. If you have a fringe that can't really be pinned like this, then either leave it down, or pin it upwards.
Step 4: My hair is quite long, so what I'm doing here is wrapping the half section that I pinned back around my fingers, and then sliding it into that same bobby pin. It looks a bit silly at this point, but the braid will soon be covering them. If your hair is a bit shorter then you may just want to skip this step!

EDIT: After wearing this hairstyle a lot since, I've found that you can actually incorporate this extra hair into the braid from the beginning, as long as you leave the braid quite loose at the start. It does make the hairstyle quicker in a way (you can skip steps 3 and 4) but you will most likely have to do a bit of adjusting with the finished look!

Step 5: Now for the fun bit! Take one of your braids and carefully wrap it upwards and over your head, like a headband, and then pin it in place at the end. While doing this, you want to cover those sections that were pinned up. Also, don't pull it too tight, the look is fairly relaxed.
Step 6: Repeat to the other side, making sure to tuck the ends of each braid into the other. This is the time where you can add a few more bobby pins in to make the braids secure. You can also do as I did and gently tease some of your hair out around your hairline to make the style more casual.
Step 7: This step is optional, but I curled the sections of hair I had loose around my face with this Mark Hill wand, to make it look a little more like Lydia's. You can also spray with hairspray, but I've found that once pinned in, the braids stay securely in place. Otherwise, you're done!

I've been wearing this look to college because (after practicing a few times) it's actually quite easy to do, and I think it looks really laid back. I can see myself wearing this on a more dressier occasion though, perhaps with less hair let loose - it's really versatile. Obviously this look is one for those blessed with longer locks, but I think it's manageable as long as your two braids can overlap each other, even a little.

I hope you enjoyed my first tutorial, it was really fun to create. Like I said, I have a big love for Lydia and Holland's style so I hope I did this look justice. Let me know if you give it a shot! Also, a big thank you to my sister for taking all of these photographs!

I am wearing:
Top // Topshop
Cardigan // Zara
Necklace // Kukee