Pretty Flecks

Jumper - Topshop

Tunic - Topshop

Nail polish - Topshop 'AWOL' 

I've had the most manic week, very glad its over! All my assignments are in and now I have to concentrate on exams - so much stress.

Anyway, onto recent purchases - I couldn't choose between this jumper or the cardigan alternative which is very similar, but I decided that I was much more of a sweater person. I really love it! I saw it on Kate's blog and it had sold out everywhere, but it had been returned in my size at my local store so I was over the moon! Its got a slash neck style, 3/4 length sleeves and a good length to wear over jeans and leggings too. I love fleck, so I really love the pastel colours in this.

I really like the look of the tunic underneath the jumper, its a nice every day style. The tunic was actually what I wore as my birthday dress on a night out so its really versatile. I really like the style and shape of it, but it does come up really big (mine is a size 6 and still looks like a dress!) so make sure you try it on first if you're interested in purchasing.The hemline is asymmetric and has a drop back, and the back of the bodice is lace so very girly and pretty. It was really reasonably priced too at £32, so a definitely a must-have. 

The nail polish is Topshop too and I pinched it from a friend - its a lovely, bright cornflower blue. The consistency of it is really nice too, so if you fancy a brighter colour definitely go for this one. 

Have you found any unusual outfit combinations that you've liked recently?

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Maxfactor Colour Elixir - Pink Brandy & Ruby Tuesday

Left: Ruby Tuesday / Right: Pink Brandy

Ruby Tuesday

Pink Brandy

Sorry for being such a bad blogger of late, I've just settled in at uni again and the workload is huge as per! Tesco had a cheeky 3 for 2 offer on at Maxfactor, so I bought some of their Creme Puff powder (which is very good for a high street by the way), and two of their Colour Elixir lipsticks. The packaging is gorgeous, and reminds me a little of the YSL lipstick packaging. 

I've been after a blue red lipstick for a while now, but I couldn't find one that suited me well or afford to stretch my finances to a MAC purchase. I'm so pleased I didn't, because this lipstick is incredible! The consistency is so smooth and moisturising that it's like putting on a lipbalm, and it has the best staying power that I've ever had. I wore Ruby Tuesday all day and only needed one re-application, so I'm really impressed. 

Pink Brandy was exactly the same, but as the pigment isn't as strong as Ruby Tuesday it needed to be re-applied more frequently. Even so, the consistency is great and I'm really impressed with how long the colour lasted for. 

What lipsticks have you been really impressed by lately? Do you like seeing cosmetics reviews as well as outfit of the day posts?

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Mavadry & Revlon Nail Enamel in 'Classy'

Left: Revlon Nail Enamel in 'Classy' / Right: Mavadry by Mavala

My nails are constantly chipping, and I'm so impatient when waiting for my nail varnish to dry that I often smudge it and end up starting from scratch. A product called Mavadry by Mavala was recommended to me, and it claims to have anti-chip and instant dry qualities. I bought this product from my local pharmacy for £10, but it can be bought on Amazon, in big pharmacies and some department stores.

Its a really good product and is well worth the money, and although there isn't very much product in the bottle, a little goes a long way. The nail polish I'm wearing here has been on for 3 days without chips, and I usually change my polish every other day because my nails are so brittle and are constantly chipping at the top, so this is quite impressive! It gives nails a very high shine and overall gloss, and also enhances colour very well.

The colour I'm wearing is Revlon's Classy (No. 281), and its a really pretty shade of nude. Its darker than most nudes, which suits my skin tone better. Its a very dainty colour, and would look lovely with black tips as an unusual alternative to french tips.

Have any of you guys found a good, speed drying anti-chip product?

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Do you always get what you pay for?

A bit of a random post today. I was going to do an OOTD post, but I've spent the day in and out of the doctors' surgery because I got an injection for tendonitis and had a really bad reaction to it, so I'm currently typing this post with one hand as the other one looks like a club - skilled, I know

I have been using Clinique's 'Take The Day Off' cleanser for the past week and a half. It claims to remove eye make-up as well as lipsticks and glosses, but I've been struggling to see why its so expensive. It retails at £15.50, so very steep for a cleansing product, but I'm happy to pay that sort of money if the product is worth it. However, I find that when I remove my eye make-up, there is a lot of residue and when I wash my face afterwards I am still left with panda eyes. I'm usually a big fan of Clinique products, so I was really surprised by this!

I wanted to try something else out of interest, and purchased Tesco's equivalent to The Body Shop's Vitamin E Cleanser. Retailing at only £1.99, I really didn't have high expectations, but I have to say its a fantastic product and I think I may be a convert. 

Its a cream cleanser which I usually really dislike, but its gentle on the skin and very moisturising. It removes both eye make-up and face make-up, and I was left with no mascara or foundation residue on my face after using it. The main difference between this, and the Clinique product, was although they are different in consistency (Clinique is a liquid which I usually prefer), removing make-up was much easier and more successful with Tesco's own brand product. 

It just goes to show that buying high brand products isn't always the best way! I'm really glad I found this product, because although I was initially sceptical, it has done wonders for my skin (it also smells incredible).

Have you guys ever found that cheaper products can be better quality? If so, which ones?

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Pour La Chambre

Wall canvases: Primark

Photoboard: Debenhams

I got a few bits and bobs for my bedroom the other day, and I thought I'd show them because they were such bargains! I've been thinking of redecorating my room for a while now, but I've got so much clutter that I don't know where to start. Despite this, I've been keeping an eye open for new bits for when I do get the opportunity to revamp it. 

The Fiat 500 canvases came in a set of three, and only cost £4 from Primark which is such a bargain! They're so pretty and I think they'll go really well with the shabby vintage theme that I want my room to have them its finished. 

I also bought this photo board from Debenhams, which was only £12 as they have a 20% off promotion at the moment. Its whitewashed, with little pegs to put your photos on. At the moment, I don't have many photos as they're all at uni, but when I send off for some more I'll show you the finished product!

Do you have any ideas for redecorating a bedroom? What sort of accessories do you like?

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Ombre and Acid

Jumper: Topshop (Maternity) / Jeans: ASOS Petite

Bag: ASOS

Shoes: River Island

I bought this jumper with a Topshop voucher, and I love the ombre/dip dye style that has hit the high street lately so I was really happy to find that it was only £28. I wasn't so happy, however, to find out that its actually supposed to be maternity wear! There is no way you can tell though, the sides are no wider than any other sweater (I'm really not sure where a baby would fit?!), so its definitely a good buy despite the label! 

These jeans were an ASOS buy in their recent sale, they're so comfortable so if you get the chance, grab a pair whilst you can. They're acid wash, with some 'destroyed' patches, which I usually hate but I really like them on these jeans.

The bag was my birthday present from my boyfriend and I LOVE it. Its suede and leather, and really well made so definitely worth a purchase. I was worried I wouldn't have anything to wear it with, but I haven't had that as an issue yet!

The shoes are a River Island buy - I've been really impressed with their new season! They're very pretty, but also comfortable, although I would advise buying a size up from what you usually are.

What do you guys think of the ombre trend?

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Pastels & Zebras

Top: River Island / Jeans: F & F @ Tesco 

Shoes: Dolce Vita @ ASOS

Excuse the awkward poses, I'm clearly not having a photogenic day! I've wanted pastel jeans for so long and I finally got a pair. Mum treated me to these when I got back from uni and I've hardly taken them off - definitely a new wardrobe staple. I can't believe they were only £14 at Tesco, so much cheaper than the Topshop alternative. These shoes were a discounted buy too, reduced to £28 on ASOS. They are made by luxury brand, Dolce Vita, so I was really happy to get such a bargain. 

The top was a River Island purchase, and I absolutely love it. When worn untucked, it looks great with jeans, leggings etc, but it looks even better tucked into high waisted shorts, trousers like these, and leather pants. I'm not usually one for prints like this, but it was so cute that I couldn't resist. I was really hoping to find one with snow leopards on as I'm such a saddo and absolutely love them, but no such luck!

I went shopping with my parents today, and was unusually successful - always the way when you're not looking! Debenhams have an amazing sale on at the moment - I bought a gorgeous photo board for when my room is decorated (I'll show this in a post tomorrow) and two sets of lingerie from their designer section. The whole lot came to under £30, so I was really pleased! I also got myself some new specs, not sure if I'll be showing these as I literally look like super nerd. 

I also tried Benefit's 'Hello Flawless' foundation whilst in Debenhams, and I have to say that I was pretty disappointed. I'm usually quite a fan of Benefit Cosmetics, but the foundation left my skin patchy and far from flawless. I wiped some of it off before I took these photos but I really think you can tell that my skin looks uneven! I have used Benefit foundation before and moved over to MAC as I wasn't all that impressed, so I think that Benefit is definitely better for products that aren't used as foundations or powders. 

Has anyone tried Benefit's 'Hello Flawless' Foundation? If yes, what did you think of it?

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Cabana Glama: your desTANation make-up kit

I got this lovely kit from a friend for my birthday, and it includes some of my favourite Benefit products. The items included in the kit are intended to make you look more tanned or to enhance a tan, so the colours naturally suit my skin tone. 

The kit includes downsized versions of the following products:

- Hoola bronzing powder

- Posietint lip and cheek stain

- Some Kind-A Gorgeous in Medium

- Eyeshadow palette with Peach Fizz, Bronze Buff and Cocoa Pizzaz 

I used to use Hoola religiously as my summer bronzer, so I'm very happy to have it back! Its very strongly pigmented, so not much is needed for an all over bronzed look. Its a great selection for the kit because of this, as it wont run out and the colour will suit pretty much anyone! I've shown it here on the brush as I haven't put make-up on today and am not looking my best, so don't feel like putting it on my face!

Here are the swatches of the Some Kind-a Gorgeous foundation faker (left), and the Posietint (right). I was actually surprised that they used Posietint over Benetint in this kit as its a lighter shade, but I really like it! Having used Benetint in the past, I feel like Posietint is lighter and more subtle, and also looks really nice when used as a lip tint. The foundation faker is actually something I'd now like to purchase in the full size. I really like the consistency and I have been using it as a concealer, or over the top of my MAC Pro Longwear foundation for better blemish coverage. Another big thumbs up for both of those products!

Left to right: Peach Fizz, Bronze Buff, Cocoa Pizzaz

I really like the colours in this eyeshadow palette. They remind me of the Benefit 'Big Beautiful Eyes' kit which I often use for day wear, but this could be used more for evening so I'm very pleased to have it. My favourite is the Peach Fizz shade, but when used as a contour the Bronze Buff and Cocoa Pizzaz colours really sets off the whole look. 

So all in all a fantastic kit! I'm really glad Benefit do sets like this, as it enables you to try a number of samples at home and decide which products you would like to buy in the full size, plus the products are all generous in size and you can last months without using them up. I'm so grateful to my friend for buying this for me; I now have to find a holiday to get tanned on so I can bring it with me!

Has anyone else tried this kit? If yes, what were your opinions? Happy Easter everyone.

Birthday Celebrations

It was my 19th birthday on Tuesday, and I was absolutely spoilt rotten as you can see! I got really gorgeous gifts from my friends, family, boyfriend and his family, so a massive thank you to them for making my day so special! My friends from university and I celebrated before we went home for Easter and they threw me an amazing party which I'm so grateful for, and on my actual birthday, my friends from home and I went to a nightclub in Piccadilly. 

There will definitely be some new items coming up in my next few outfit posts as I got some lovely bits of clothing and accessories, including the incredible mint suede handbag that I got from Jack. Also expect to see a review of Benefit's new make-up kit, Cabana Glama that my friend Lucy bought for me, but I can tell you in advance that it's brilliant and absolutely worth buying. 

Here are a couple of photos from my nights out:

Hope everyone is having a lovely Easter break. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming make-up reviews and outfit posts!

Grey On Grey

Hi all! I have just arrived in Surrey, as I am now back for Easter. I have had so many deadlines over the past week, and now have a little free time whilst I'm at home! Apologise for the week long gap in posts, its disgraceful. In other news, its my birthday next week, so I'm hoping to be able to give you a nice big post on all my new items! 

I bought this cardigan in the River Island sale for £15 yesterday and it was so reasonably priced that I couldn't walk away! I really like it, and its replaced my trusty charity shop Primark buy that now has a huge hole in the side (rest in peace). Its oversized, which isn't difficult on me as I'm so short, and came with the belt that I'm wearing through my shorts as I really don't like wearing belts round cardigans. 

The top is an old season Topshop item, with cape sleeves. Its normally quite short, so I tuck it into my new Topshop denim hot pants that I bought the other day to give myself more of an obvious waist. I've always wanted a pair of these shorts and they bring them out every year, but I've always resisted because they're a little bit on the pricey side. I can, however, afford them when student discount is involved, so I just took the leap and bought them. I really don't regret it, they're definitely a wardrobe staple and can be worn on a night out or just as day wear like I have here. 

Cardigan - River Island / Top - Topshop (Old season) / Shorts - Topshop

Tights - River Island

Bag - Vintage / Nail Polish - Barry M Blue Moon

I'm getting my hair cut in just over a week, need inspiration as my hair is so boring and long with no volume, so any suggestions would be fantastic!