My new bag.

I wouldn't really say that I was in the market for a new bag, however, after coming home for the summer due to finishing uni for the year I've been having routine clear outs of all the crap that I've managed to accumulate at home. This involved throwing LOADS of stuff away, including several bags that I'd either not used in yonks or were seriously out of date fashion wise. I always used to be a big bag kinda gal. It must be some sort of security blanket thing- I was safe in the knowledge that I had EVERYTHING that I might need at some point. Of course this was killing my shoulders and back, so recently I've been reaching for smaller shoulder bags that can also be used as clutches. Going through my collection I had a couple of black bags that suited this description and a tatty old tan one. Into the bin the tan one went and then I stumbled across this little cobalt blue beauty. Non my usual choice of colour for a bag, but I though a pop of colour would be great seeing as my wardrobe is predominantly monochrome.

I had actually spotted this bag a while back but for one reason or another didn't go for it. But then I found it in the sale...Knocked down from the original price of £20 to to just £5. With a Channel-esque double flap design and not-too-long shoulder strap I decided it would be coming home with me. What's even better is that when I got to the till it transpired that I was also able to get student discount, bring my brand new bag down to the fab price of £4.50. I couldn't say no!

What do you think of brightly coloured bags? I'll be doing a What's in My Bag post soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

June Favourites

It's that time of the month again where I round up all of my favourites that I've been using in the last month. June has seen the end of my first year of university, moving back home and rather a lot of chilling out. July is to be the month of a trip away with my boyfriend, exam results and new home prep, so exciting things to come! 

I'm going to crack right on with my favourites and kick it off with my favourite nail polish of the month which has been Essie's Fishnet Stockings. It's my perfect red- a deep blue toned red, rather than anything really bright. It's classic and elegant and just goes with everything. The formula, as is expected with Essie polishes, is great and lasts ages on the nails. 

My next favourite is Soap and Glory's Clean On Me. The smell is what really gets me with this product, it just smells so good I could cover myself in it all day long. The formula is super thick and nourishing and creates a beautifully thick foamy lather. Great for in the bath or shower and the fragrance lingers throughout the day. Totally dreamy. 

Lush's Ocean Salt Scrub has been amazing this month. I've been using it in the shower on my face just to get rid of the uneven texture that can occur sometimes if you're like me and your skin has a tendency to be dry. Just make sure you moisturise well after you've used this!

Another skincare favourite this month has been a rediscovery in the form of Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion +. This is a classic product that is a total fail safe for me, Whenever my skin care is stuck in a rut or my moisturiser just isn't cutting it, I know I can turn to this and it will sort my face out. 

My final beauty favourite this month is the YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in 01 Nude Beige. It's my perfect nude lipstick. It's really comfortable on the lips, has great colour pay off and lasts really well for a nude lipstick (Which have a tendency to disappear super quickly!)

My fashion favourite this month is my new bag, which I picked up in the sale at Dorothy Perkins. It's the perfect shoulder bag to just pop in your essentials and go, rather than lugging the kitchen sink around with you!  I have a What's In My Bag post coming soon...

A food/health favourite would be green smoothies. Since I've been home and away from the horror that is the food in catered student accommodation I've really been enjoying super healthy green smoothies. They're great for breakfast or even as a pick me up throughout the day. I have a recipe for one of my favourite combinations right here.

And finally, my un-favourite for this month has to be the terrible weather we're currently having in the UK! It's supposedly summer yet it's rained nearly every day! I'm hoping the weather will pick up in July so I can actually spend some time in my garden!

That's it for this month's favourites. What have you been loving this past month?

April Favourites

Hello!

It's the beginning of May which means April is over (I'm such a genius...) WHICH MEANS it's time for my monthly favourites. I've been mixing things up a lot this month and trying loads of new products which has been fun. My skin has also been going CRAZY thanks to exam/assignment/general university stress. Thanks life. So yes, lots of new things that I love. Without further ado....here's what they are. 

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil- This is a beautifully soft and moisturising cleanser that I've been using morning and night. It retails for £12 which is a great price considering the quality of the product. I use two pumps in the morning, work it all over my face and rinse with warm water. In the evening (when I'm removing makeup) I'll use three pumps to really break down the products on my face. I'll definitely be re-purchasing this when I'm done.

Next up in the LOreal Infallible 24 Hour Matte Foundation; I've already raved about this in my review I did the other week so I won't go on and on, but I really do love this. It has fast become my favourite drugstore foundation.

The Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Rose Gold is the prettiest lid shade, just worn on it's own, with something a little darker in the crease or under other shadows. It's the PERFECT base for the Naked 3 palette. It also lasts ages on the eyes and doesn't crease.

The Benefit The PoreFessional is an old favourite, but I'm especially appreciating it now as the weather is starting to get warmer and I'm needing to make my makeup last longer. I use this just on my t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) leave it to set for a minute that carry on with foundation. It's a great primer, what more can I say?

As I said, the weather is getting warmer and I'm starting to feel more summery so I want a bit of glow on my face, without being oily. The highlighter from the Sleek Face Form Palette (Light) does the job really beautifully. It's a golden toned shimmer so looks nice and natural on the skin and gives just the right amount of glow.

I've really been enjoying the LOreal True Match Concealer. It covers my under eye circles really well and also acts as a bit of a highlighter. It's creamy, but not too thick and blends in really smoothly. 

My skin has been going a little nuts recently...I've been breaking out, but at the same time my skin has been very dry. To combat the dryness I've been using the Balance Me Radiance Face Mask. I've got a creamy texture, but also has a bit of grit to it (due to the walnut shells in there to polish the skin). I leave it on for about 10 minutes, rinse off then moisturise thoroughly. It re-plumps my skins and gets it feeling nourished again.

My final beauty favourite for April is Daisy Dreams by Marc Jacobs. I usually like darker floral fragrances, but this perfume is just so pretty I can't help but wear it. It's light and fresh, but sticks around on the skin for a long time. And the bottle is just SO pretty!! I also have the accompanying body wash and lotion which really helps to amp up the fragrance. It's perfect for Spring.

On the left- Sleek Highlighter, on the right- Maybelline cream shadow.

My fashion favourite for this month has been my limited edition Star Wars Vans. 

Not only are they super comfy, as with all of Vans shoes, they have Yoda on them AND the aglets( the plastic bits at the end of the shoe laces) are light sabres. Yes, slightly geeky I know, but I think these are great and perfect for any Star Wars fans out there or just those that like to have slightly quirky shoes.

So there you have it, my April favourites. What have you been loving this past month?

IM BACK-Birthday outfit...

Yes, it's true. After 5 months of being missing from the blogasphere, I'm actually back. I don't think I actually realised just how much of my time university life would take up so somewhere along the way my blog kind of got forgotten about. But I have now returned, although I can't promise how frequent the posts will be!!

Last week was my 19th birthday so I thought I'd ease myself back into writing by doing an outfit post. The day time was very chilled as I had the day off uni. I spent the evening with lots of friends celebrating my big day and I had a fab time. Here are some snaps of my outfit from the night.

I went for strong smokey eyes, lots of individual lashes and a nude lip.

Playsuit from Topshop

Shoes from Dorothy Perkins

September Beauty Favourites

I CAN'T BELIEVE SEPTEMBER IS ALREADY OVER!! Okay, so dramatic intro, but seriously, where is 2014 going?!? This month in the main has been a bit of a non event for me, I've just been counting down the days to going to uni (I moved yesterday). One thing I did do a lot of during the back end of August however was shopping. Of course whilst I was shopping for university necessities I became the owner of several items that definitely weren't necessities, but I really wanted to try!

So naturally I have loads of news favourites (and some old ones too) to chat to you about today...Without further a do, let's get into it!

First up is the Maybelline The Falsies mascara. I'd heard everyone raving about this and finally decided to give it a go. Honestly, I don't think there's anything particularly special about the formula, it's the wand that makes this a great mascara. It's curved in a sort of banana shape. One side is great for building volume and length on the top lashes and the smaller side is perfect for getting to your bottom lashes. It's super black and doesn't smudge, I get why people love it so much!

Next is something I've reviewed recently so I won't go on about it, but it's the Revlon Lacquer Balm in Demure. It's the perfect peachy pink nude, it moisturises the lips and lasts well too. It's been pretty much the only thing on my lips this month.

As the weather is cooling down I've pulled out the 17 Blush in Plum Puff to go with the cooler tones I'm reincorporating into my makeup. This is a matte powder blush with quite a creamy texture. It blends seamlessly and gives just the right amount of colour to the cheeks.

I've really been enjoying using the Natural Collection eyeshadow in Chocolate Brown. The name would suggest a warm tone brown but it's actually more of a cool taupey brown, actually pretty similar to Naked by Urban Decay. It's the perfect crease colour when you just want a super simple eye.

And finally...it's Autumn now that means dark shades on the nails. As ever I'm returning to my all time favourite deep purple shade, William Tell Me About OPI by OPI. I always say this about OPI polishes; the staying power on me is rubbish, but I just can't find the exact shade from any other brand and I love the colour so much I'm happy to top it up every few days.

So there we have it, the best of September! 

The Plain White T

Ah, the plain white t. Everyone has one. The majority of people overlook them. Personally, I feel that a plain white t-shirt is an absolute style staple. You can dress it up or down, that's the great thing about something so plain, it's uber diverse. Here are a few suggestions from me of how to spice up and style the under-loved plain white t.

Jeans.

For a chilled vibe, pair with a light wash pair of jeans. Add a pair of sandals or converse for a super laid back look and you're done. You could even try a pop of colour, with a bright wedge. Alternatively, grab a pair of black jeans, black ankle boots and a leather jacket for a more edgy-cool look. 

Denim Shorts.

Okay, so for when the weather finally gets warm enough to get your legs out, grab a pair of denim shorts. Be it light or dark wash, whatever you prefer. Pair with your T, a pair of converse, throw on a light kimono and a pair of shades. Done. Effortlessly cool.

 The Pencil Skirt.

My final outfit idea for you involves a pencil skirt. Super chic and extremely easy to wear. I go for classic black, with my white t, keeping bang on trend with the monochrome theme. A classic court shoe and simple clutch finishes this one off nicely. 

So there are my outfit ideas for you. How do you like to style a plain tee?

Until next week...

It's all about Radiant Orchid

Pantone have named Radiant Orchid as the "Colour of the Year". They say..."Radiant Orchid blooms with confidence and magical warmth that intrigues the eye and sparks the imagination. It is an expressive, creative and embracing purple-one that draws you in with it beguiling charm. A captivating harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid emanates great joy, love and health" Quite the claim, no?

So in the spirit of all things purple I've been hunting through the beauty stash and my wardrobe to bring to you the best of Radiant Orchid for 2014. Let's do it.

Oh my, I'm in love with this dress- it's the Alicia from French Connection, I've managed to get my hands on one, honestly its just beautiful. A demure, conservative body-con dress from the front, with the unexpected lace panel in the back. Nothing says conservatively sexy like flashing a bit of back. What I really want to talk about, obviously, is the colour. Now, this dress could be in black, and it would be predictable. It could be in red, but then it could potentially look a little Pretty Woman-esque, before the transformation. But no, it's in a bright, colourful Radiant Orchid hue that just screams Spring. I think it's beautiful, I have to resist from wearing it every day.

Two nail polishes that stand out to be are Butter London's Molly Coddled and Illamasqua's Jo'mina. Both are very wearable but still add that hint of bright purple to your tips to keep you looking put together! If you're after a more purse friendly option, go for Maybellines Color Show Nail Polish in Purple Gem.

Another great way to wear the shade is on your lips or eyes. My personal favourites are Sloane Square by Rimmel for the lips- this one is great as you can wear it with a balm to keep it quite sheer, or you can really build it up for maximum colour on the lips. For the eyes, an old favourite of mine is the 17 Trio in Purple Heart- it has the PERFECT Radiant Orchid shade in there, with two lighter lilac hues to keep the whole thing balanced and not looking too pink.

Those are my picks, for now, of my personal favourite Radiant Orchid bits and bobs.

Let me know what your favourites are

xoxo