Spring/Summer 2014 Clothing Wishlist

1) Motel Catalina Dress in Tomato (ON SALE - £19)

 2) Motel Catalina Dress in Sapphire (£38)

I already own a black Catalina dress and I love it! The fit is perfect and supper flattering. It is a little on the short side, so if you're a bit conscious about dresses being too short it might not be for you. But it's totally dependent your body so i'd say definitely worth a try - you can always return it :) I want to invest in a couple of bright colours for summer and i'm a sucker for bright blue and orange! Motel stock loads of other colours, and patterned versions too, but personally i find plain dresses to be more wearable. This cut is also cute enough to wear during the day, but you can easily dress it up for night time/going out too!

3) Miss Selfridge Aztec Print Playsuit - £35

The super fun print makes this playsuit an instant winner in my book. I love the girly pinks and turquoises, and the vertical stripes of colour make it really flattering. I think the shape of this playsuit, loose around the bum and boobs but cinched in at the waist, makes it wearable for any body shape, and the crochet back adds a little bit of unexpected detail. You could wear this during the day with flats and a plain cardi, or dress it up at night with some heeled sandals and simple jewelry.  

4) Monki (at ASOS) Get Into It Crop - £8

I just think this is such a cute crop top, and i'm loving the monochrome trend for spring. This would be great with a skirt and cardi in spring, and with a pair of high-waisted denim shorts in summer.

5) Missguided Check Skater Dress - £24.99

This dress is so pretty, and i think it has such a cute fifties, feminine feel to it. Makes me think of ice creams in the park in summer :)

6) ASOS Monochrome Check Skirt - £16

I'm rather in love with this skirt - again it's part of the monochrome trend which I'm loving at the moment, but i also think it's got of a bit of a 90s 'Clueless' feel to it. It's a great transition piece that could be worn with tights or bare legs, and i think it'd work for both day and night wear too.

7) River Island 'Très En Vogue' Tee - £16

I have a growing collection of oversized t-shirts. I'm not usually one for slogan tees but I love the minimalist nature of this one and the slogan is pretty cute. Think it means 'very in fashion', correct me if i'm wrong, it's been a few years since i've done french! 

8) Missguided Cloud Print Crop Top (£9.99) and A-Line Mini Skirt (£9.99)

I don't usually like co-ords much but I've really fallen for this set! I think it's got such a 90s feel to it and would look great worn together, or as separate pieces. I think you could get away with wearing it all year round too (not constantly of course). Also, it would work for day and night wear too! Definitely going too have to pick this set up soon.

9) Miss Selfridge Daisy Print Skort - £25

I spotted these shorts (this skort?) on the Miss Selfridge website a while ago but wasn't sure about them. I had a chance to pop into one of their stores last week so I went to hunt these down and they are so much nicer in person! They're high waisted and are in a lovely thin, soft fabric. I love the idea of skorts - look like a skirt but have the security of short-level coverage - but i've never found any that I like. I think these are really cute though, and i've been seeing daisy print everywhere recently, definitely going to big for summer!

10) Boohoo Black Stater Skirt - £8

I don't actually own a black skater skirt but always wish i did - aha i know that sounds silly but i'm very bad at getting round to buying things! Anyway, I don't like spending a lot on basic items so this £8 one from Boohoo would be perfect. I think it's a good item for the spring transition too - wear with thick tights when it's cold, not so thick tights when it's springtime and then get those lovely bare leggys out when summer comes! 

11) Topshop Lace Frill Socks - £3.50 each

Lilac/Pink. Aqua. White.

These are just the cutest things. I'd wear them with heeled boots and sandals to add a springy feel :)

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What do you think of my wishlist? Is there anything in particular you want for spring/summer this year? 

Spring/Summer 2014 Accessories & Footwear Wishlist coming next week!

xo

Best Foundations for Oily to Combination Skin

Clarins Ever Matte
Formula: Lightweight on the skin. Sets slowly to a velvety finish.
Coverage: Light/Medium. Buildable.
Packaging: Plastic 'squeezy' bottle
Price: £26 (link)

Revlon ColourStay (Combination/Oily Skin)

Formula: 'Sets' on the skin. Very long-wearing. Needs thorough cleansing to remove.

Coverage: Medium/Full. Buildable.

Packaging: Glass bottle. No pump so has to be poured out.

Price: £12.50 (link)

MakeUp ForEver HD Foundation

Formula: A little bit goes a long way. Good applied with a damp brush. Needs to be thinly spread. 

Coverage: Medium. Buildable in thin layers.

Packaging: Glass bottle with pump.

Price: £31 (link)

Nars Sheer Matte

Formula: Lightweight. 'Sets' quickly. 

Coverage: Light/Medium. Buildable.

Packaging: Glass Bottle. No pump.

Price: £31 (link)

MakeUp ForEver Mat Velvet +

Formula: Gives a velvety finish. 'Sets' on the skin. Water resistant therefore needs a good cleanser to remove properly.

Coverage: Medium. Buildable.

Packaging: Plastic 'squeezy' bottle.

Price: £30.50 (link)

Have you tried any of these foundations? What did you think? 

xo

Guest Blogger: Holly Likes To Blog

Today, i have a bit of a different post for you, an interview with the lovely Holly from 'Holly Likes To Blog'. 

1. Sum up your blog in three words.

Rambly, inconsistent, cute.

2. Who inspired you to start blogging?
I'm not entirely sure to be honest! I started off watching YouTube videos like Sprinkle of Glitter and Zoella and then when I realised that they had a blog, I think I just liked the idea of it and now here I am!

3. Have you met friends through blogging?
There is a couple of girls that I have met, although not in person! There is the lovely Rachel from http://lipstickanddaisies.blogspot.co.uk/ and Heather from http://hevzibev.blogspot.co.uk/. Hopefully I will be lucky enough to meet them one day.

4. What is your favourite thing to blog about?
I really love monthly favourite posts, not that I have did one in a while! There is just something about them that is really fun to write. They always feel so relaxed and personal.

5. You're all time favourite product?
This is, without a doubt, got to be the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (still haven't got used to Collection 2000's shortened name). It is honestly the best concealer I have ever used and it is so cheap too! It is the quality of a high end brand but only costs around £4! I have gone through so many tubes of it now because I have been using it for so long. I hope they never discontinue it.

6. What is the one makeup item you could never leave the house without?
Mascara. I just think it really opens up your eyes and makes you look so much more awake which is always handy when you have to get up early for school like I do! I just think my eyes look too small and weird without it because I am so used to wearing it every day. My current favourite is Benefit They're Real.

7. Favourite fashion and beauty brands?
This is such a difficult question because there is so many to choose from! For fashion I think I would have to say New Look because I really like the style of clothes that they do - so girly and cute. They also have some really gorgeous accessories. I thought picking one fashion brand was hard but beauty is even harder! I don't think I can choose between Benefit and Bare Minerals. I don't go a day without my Bare Minerals foundation but then Benefit's kitsch packaging is so cute and they have some really great products. If only they weren't so damn expensive.

8. Any hopes for your blog for the future?
I hope I can become more consistent with my posting. I have been quite good this month so far now that I have mastered the art of scheduled blog posts so hopefully that continues! My main aim for my blog is for it to give me experience on what will hopefully become my career. I want to be a journalist - specifically in beauty magazines - so this is like a practise for the real thing. I have gained more followers in the last couple of years since I started blogging than I imagined. I didn't think I would get past 50 never mind 200! I hope this trend also continues. I am so grateful for everyone that chooses to follow my blog. I just can't believe people actually want to read what I ramble on about!

Hope you enjoyed this change of post, Holly has posted my answers to these questions on her blog too, so head over there to check them out! :) Also coming up soon will be a guest post from Holly with her top nail polish picks for spring, looking forward to that! And i'll be writing a guest post for her blog too, so keep an eye out for that :)

xo

Let's Get Ready for Spring!

I have returned! Aha, sorry for being AWOL these past couple of weeks, uni's been rather hectic, and (as usual) i'd managed to leave myself a week to write a 2000 word essay. Dear me. However, with that out the way, and the Easter hols close by, I can get back to you lovely people :)

Today we're talking about Spring! Wooo! Flowers, pastels, spring chicks, spring lambs (so cute!), skirts, sandals, blue skies, sun, and the possibility of warm weather - what's not to like? And best off all it's just round the corner, and it means Summer's next :D

For me the start of Spring almost feels more like New Year than the real New Year, it makes me feel so optimistic for the coming months, and always makes me feel like I should be getting my life in order. So i thought why not share some of my tips with you guys on 'How To Get Ready for Spring':

*Plant Plants*

This time of year is the perfect time to get planting - whether it's out in your garden, in pots for you patio or even in pots to keep indoors. Personally I love having flowers and plants indoors - it's a lovely way to brighten up an area and bring some life into the room. Some great flowers that you can buy now to add colour to your garden or house right away are daffodils, crocuses and bluebells. Of course you can also start planting summer-flowering plants now too and watch how they grow over the coming months.

Herbs are also good options to start growing too. Having you're own fresh herbs is brilliant - they're great to add in all sorts of dishes, and you can use them in cocktails too ;) 

*Spring Cleaning*

Cliched i know, but i honestly think spring cleaning is a real necessity, for me anyway - it's a great way of clearing everything away from a grey, cosy yet cluttered winter to allow room for the sun to come in and of course some nice new dresses too! I not just talking mopping floors and dusting mantlepieces - i'm talking sorting out, de-cluttering and preparing yourself for summer! 

- Sort out your wardrobe: Donate or sell any clothes that you haven't worn in the last year. Look through all your tights and socks - throw away the ones with holes in. Take all your winter clothes and put them in storage/boxes under your bed. Organize your spring/summer wardrobe.

- Do some cleaning of course: vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing, mopping (although you should really be doing this at all times of year - not just in spring - eek!) On sunny mornings open the windows and let the fresh air in, you'll be surprised the difference it'll make to your house and to your energy levels - fresh air always wakes me up :)

- Do some de-cluttering too: look through your shelves, draws, cupboards - donate or sell old ornaments, books and cutlery (i'm well aware i have far too many mugs but i have problems parting with them!), file away bills/letters/important documents, back up your computer files (i never do this as often as i should!), and look through your fridge and cupboards, check the jars and tins at the back that seem to have been there for years - they're probably out of date! Clear these out to make away for some lovely new spring foods :D 

 *Prepare for Sandals, Skirts and Strappy Tops*

After months of being covered in long sleeves, jeans, thick socks and boots, our skin and feet are going to be rather grey, dry and probably a bit battered. Now is the time to get them looking gorgeous again, and ready for their imminent public exposure. Start moisturizing your body every day - legs, arms, chest, tummy, unless you already do this, in which case props to you! I am terrible at remembering to moisturize! One of my favorite body moisturizes is Palmer's cocoa butter - although it's not my favorite smell in the world, i love how thick and creamy it is, and it always leaves my legs feeling super soft and hydrated. 

As for the feet, if you can afford a full pedicure then i'd say go for it. If not, grab yourself a foot file and some moisturizer - you can get a foot file from somewhere like Wilko's or Superdrug for a couple of quid and any thick moisturizer will do, although my favorite ones for my feet are the Scholl products (sold in Boots). Do this before bed: first, give any hard skin around your heels or on the balls of your feet a bit of a 'file'. Then take a small amount on your moisturizer and work it into those areas - take your time and really massage the cream into the skin. Once it's all been absorbed, take a large amount of moisturizer and apply it all over your feet. Don't work it all in, instead with your feet still very much covered in cream, put some socks on - thin, cotton ones if you can. Sounds weird i know, and it feels pretty weird too, but trust me on this one. Go to bed like this and when you take your socks off in the morning you will have feet soft enough to rival a baby's bum and gorgeous enough for flips flops and jelly sandals! 

*Renew your Resolutions*

Every season is a chance for a fresh start but especially spring - it's a season of new birth, animals waking from hibernation, re-growth of leaves on trees and plants flowering again, so what a better time than now to have your own re-start. By now, i'm sure most of us have forgotten what our new year's resolutions even were! I had to go back and visit my 'Goodbye 2013' post to find out! Getting back into fitness, writing more on this blog and working harder at uni were mine. This is a great time to look back on your resolutions, re-assess why you wanted to do them and re-motivate yourself!

What did you guys think of my tips? Are you doing anything to prepare for spring? Let me know :) 

xo 

Primark Haul - Spring 2014

So i popped into Primark over the weekend and, well, as always in Primark, spent a little too much money. I am pretty happy with all my purchases though, apart from the belts which I bought in the wrong size! Doh! 

Brown Cut Out & Black w/ Aztec Stitching Detail Belts - 2 pack, £2

Green & White Flower Print Skater Dress - £5

Pastel Blue & Gold Triangle Necklace - £3

Blue Running Shorts - £3

2 Tail Combs - £1

(Beautiful) Blue Chunky Heels - £14

Chicago Eagles Oversized T-shirt - £6

Oversized Overexposed-Print T-shirt - £6

Black & Gold Triangle Necklace - £3

Bobby Pins - £1

5 Pack Silver Varying Width Rings - £3

+ (Shown on 1st Photo) Floral Black & Pink Fringed Kimono - £15

Coming up in the next week, i'm planning to do a 'How I Style' video for all the items I bought, so keep an eye out for that! Also in the pipe line: Best Foundations for Oily/Combination Skin, Spring Clothing Wishlist, Spring Beauty Wishlist & Mini Superdrug Haul - which would you guys like to see first? Let me know! :) 

xo

Larsson & Jennings Watches

Larsson & Jennings are a Swedish/British watch brand which I discovered after seeing a small feature on them in a recent look magazine. I absolutely love their watches, perhaps even more than Micheal Kors' rose gold beauties. They are a perfect combination of classic British style and Swedish minimalism. They're on the 'rather expensive' side, although the quality leather and fabric straps mean they'd be a long term investment. Definitely going on my 'when I win the lottery' (or just get a job) list!

What do you guys think of them? Do you have favourite watch brand?

xo

Exciting News - I am now a Student Fashion contributor!

Student Fashion is an online style magazine and fashion blog for uni students. It includes posts ranging from award show style, to creating speckled eyeliner to achieving a perfect at home manicure!

I recently applied to be a writer for the blog and was so happy to find i'd been accepted. I will be submitting posts on a bi-weekly basis and will link them here for you to all go and check out :)

In my first post I put together 8 high-street dupes for some of the most popular high-end make-up products:

To read the full post with details on, prices of and links to each product, click here.

Hope you like it! 

xo