March Beauty Favourites

Another month has flown by, and thats been another 31 days of being obsessed with various beauty products that I can't wait to share with you. As usual, I've picked 15 things and have rambled on about them over on my youtube channel (but to save you the hassle, you can easily just watch it down below without even having to leave this page, I'm good to you, aren't I?) I really feel like this month, I have found a few holy grail products and overall, I'm pretty happy with my faves and feel like quite a few of them are going to stay the distance - especially when it comes to skincare. On top of that, I'm pretty sure that the majority of my faves this month are all drugstore products and so super affordable and easier to repurchase without that sicky feeling as you enter your pin number at the counter. Perfic!

Don't forget to let me know your monthly favourites in the comments below (Beauty or non-beauty! I love it all!) OH! I've also just added another entry option to my giveaway so that you can gain an extra chance of winning by following me on youtube, so make sure to give that a go after watching!

I hope your March has been wonderful, and that your April is set to be even better.

X

Style Trial: All Denim Everythin'

There's something I have to tell you. It's something that I think I need to come clean about, else things might start to become a little confusing..so.. here it is: I'm somewhat of a DR Doolitle. I love animals, and they love me. I follow them around and they follow me back. It can become a little awkward when trying to do outfit posts though. I can't even tell you how many of these photo's had a cats head, tail, or other body parts in. Every time I had the perfect shot ready a cat would wander into shot, so.. I went with it because, well, I had no other option really.

Now I've got that out the way, lets crack on with what you're really here for: all of the denim goodness. Today I one upped my Double Denim Style Trial post and went all out: Triple Denim. With denim set to be absolutely huge over Spring/Summer, I wanted to seriously attempt the trend without resorting to a standard pair of jeans (although that's next on the list). I thought by adding different styles and colours of denim, it might break the outfit up a little. 

So these denim dungarees were a purchase from around a year ago. They were originally a pretty bland shade of blue but a box of dylon later and they were the black dungs I'd been lusting after. So, yeah, if you've ever found the perfect denim item but it's the wrong shade.. don't dismiss it instantly. You have options people!

 Topshop Jacket, Boots & Dungarees (Dyed at home), Primark Shirt.

Aside from going wild on the denim front, I also went a bit mental and added a little bit of blue eyeshadow under the waterline of my eye. I thought I'd look like a clown (especially with the red lip) but I actually loved it and have done it every day since! I think it kind of tied the outfit together a little. Have you ever tried a bold colour like blue on the eyes? I'm tempted to experiment even more now. I think it's easy to get kind of 'stuck' in a routine with your makeup - and style.. so I like to try and keep myself on my toes a bit with a regular Style Trial or two. 

Maybe I could trial some different make-up looks too? Let me know what you think! 

Will you be rocking an all-out denim look anytime soon?

Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to give a go at styling and I'll give it a go for sure!

XX

Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum: First Impressions & Giveaway

The day that all of us in our twenties have been waiting for has finally happened and I've partnered up with John Lewis and Origins to tell you all about it. What am I talking about? There's finally a skin care product aimed at twenty-somethings and I for one couldn't be more excited about it. I feel like I sit somewhere between 'teenage spot prone' and 'anti-wrinkle' products and sometimes, in such a highly saturated beauty industry it can be hard to know what to go for, and what's going to work well with my skin. I'm sure I'm not the only one?

Anyway, the lovely people at John Lewis sent me the Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum with Willowherb* to try out and I'm here to tell you my first impressions (Spoiler: I'm impressed).

So firstly I'll give you a bit of a low-down on my skin, just so you can get an idea of what I'm working with here. I was always pretty lucky growing up and didn't tend to have many spots or issues with my skin, and then as soon as people started to 'grow out' of that phase, my skin went a little bit weird. I've definitely noticed a difference in my skin, even in the last year or so. I've got dry to combination skin, quite often suffering with random dry patches and the redness? Don't even get me started on the redness. I've got really sensitive skin too so that can make it difficult to find the right products because what works for some might not work for me. More and more I notice that my skin is starting to look more dull and lifeless, and just generally a bit 'blah'.

SO, this little wonder of a serum aims to reawaken your skin's natural glow (yes please) by de-stressing, smoothing your complexion and shrinking pores. Now, bear in mind that I've only been using this beauty for a few weeks but I can honestly say that I have started to notice a difference in my skin. It's definitely brighter and smoother, and I don't know whether this is coincidence or not but my skin has definitely calmed down with it's crazy red patches too. In fact.. as I write this I'm actually makeup free and that's something that I haven't felt able to do for a long time. 

I dispense 1 to 2 pumps onto my fingertips in both my morning and evening skin care routine and smooth the product gently over my face after cleansing and before moisturising. Sometimes I'll use a toner before I apply it and others I won't.. it really depends on how my skin's looking and how much time I've got! After application, my skin feels instantly less 'angry' and smoother and totally prepped for moisturiser. Oh, and it smells so citrusy and fresh that I want to eat it. 

Now then, here's the best bit: John Lewis & Origins weren't just kind enough to send this product over to me.. they also sent me an extra one to give to a friend or give to one of my lovely readers.

Obviously I wanted to give it to one of you guys and I thought that the easiest way to do this was to do a little rafflecopter giveaway! Simply fill in your details below and keep your fingers crossed!

 I'll be announcing the winner on twitter in 2 weeks time!
I'll also be adding in a surprise or two just to say thanks for being a babe (:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

X 

A Transitional Wishlist

From Left to Right: Espirit leo print ankle boot with strap, EOS strawberry sorbet lip balm,  Espirit colour block blouse in flowing viscose, Espirit boxy T-shirt ,Espirit lyocell shirt dress with a belt, Olivia Burton Ladies ‘woodland’ moulded bee watch, Espirit Vintage Look Stretch Jeans,Espirit imitation leather bucket bag, Espirit Textured Dress in 100% cotton, Ray-Ban Havana foldable square sunglasses rb2176, Nars Sheer Glow Foundation, NCLA Nudes Volume 1

If you're anything like me, you'll be forever dressing inappropriately for the weather, and this is made infinitely harder by being in that awkward transition between winter and spring. What even is that? I think it needs a name. Anyway, I put together a little wishlist of items that I think would fit perfectly for this kind of weather. The first being these awesome leopard print boots from Espirit. I've recently become a fan of leopard print (in small doses) and the fact that these are all black makes it more of a minimal statement, and I think they would transfer easily through to summer as I can definitely picture them with some high wasted denim shorts and my sleeveless Ramone's top.
 Lip balm is a must at this time of year with the constant changes in the weather and anything that's called 'strawberry sorbet' pretty much has my vote. So there's that.
As always, you can't go wrong with a stripey tee and I'm yet to really try the 'boyfriend jean' trend but it looks so awesome on other people. I think that spring is a time for relaxed dressing and what's more relaxed than baggy jeans and a classic tee? Oh, and Ray-Bans.. a must.. right?
I've been after the perfect watch for what feels like a million years and this one from Olivia Burton is just SO lovely. The moulded bee makes it that little bit more spring worthy, as I just love it when you start to see all of the bumble bees and flowers, but it's not so much of a 'spring statement' that it wouldn't be wearable all year round. I'm definitely going to be needing to get my hands on this.
As you can see, I didn't actually go for any jackets as I'm kind of edging towards the idea that pretty soon we won't be needing them. If you think that's unrealistic, I did at one point actually have a bikini on this wishlist but thought that we weren't quite there yet! Still.. one can dream right?
Something I'm really into right now is the bucket bag. I've always been one of those people that just chucks everything into a bag and has to frantically fumble for about ten minutes whilst trying to find my house keys (I'm usually desperate for the toilet at this point too.. tmi?) but that's okay.. and in this situation I fully embrace that fact. This imitation leather one is perfect for this kind of weather, and will be perfect come summer time too. It's just so easy to style with so many different outfits and perfect for all seasons too.
When it comes to beauty, I'm still yet to go over to the NARS side but I'm certainly tempted by a bit of a 'sheer glow' for the face. It seems that I may as well welcome my natural 'dewy' complexion as it's coming to that time of year again where it's actually something that people want, so why not enhance that a little? I've also been eyeing up all of the new NCLA polishes that have launched for S/S 15. Their nudes collection is basically the dream and the polishes are lovely to work with. I'll take them all please!

How are you dressing for the transitional weather?
Any tips for a girl that keeps getting it wrong?

X

The Perfect Bold Lip

So I don't mean to sound dramatic here but.. I think I've found the products that make the perfect bold lip duo. To some, this may not be suitable for all occasions but I don't feel like there is one person who could not rock this look for some occasion or another ( doing the ironing... anyone?) Find me a bold lip and I'll find any excuse, but find me one as visually pleasing as this and.. well.. I guess I write a blog post about it? Oh, and guess what.. It's all drugstore.. so you can keep your pennies too.

 So first we have to talk about the lipstick. I'm donning the beautiful 'Liya's' red from the L'oreal Colour Riche Exlusive range which you may have seen in my Drugstore Beauty Haul video and as expected.. it's beautiful. It has an incredibly velvety formula, which is not drying in the slightest despite the fact that its matte, and is the most beautiful shade of red I think I've laid my eyes on. 

But that wasn't enough.

I also picked up the 'Sexy Mother Plucker Extreme Plump XL' gloss from Soap & Glory on a bit of a whim the other day. It was the classic '3 for 2' in Boots and I needed to repurchase my trusty Archery brow pencil and this kind of came along with me too. I've never tried a lip plumper before and I'm not particularly bothered increasing the size of my lips apart from when the top one kind of disappears when I smile leaving me with gummy grin.. Sooo Yeah.

So here's the deal: this lip plumping gloss is not for the faint hearted. They'll tingle.. they'll buzz.. they'll almost feel like they don't exist anymore.. but it's totally worth it.. right? In terms of plumping ability, I have nothing to compare it to, but it definitely made a difference. My lips weren't Kim K huge, but they were damn close and given that all I'd done is put a gloss on? I think that's pretty insane. Oh, and it solved my gummy smile issue as my lip was then big enough to not disappear entirely. Awesome.

Now, add that as a coat over your favourite lippy and you're left with the the most sickeningly luscious lips that have ever existed. Even if this gloss did no plumping action I'd love it purely for it's shiny glossy goodness but yeah, it does so much more than that.

Product of dreams? I think so.

Oh, and you can pick up this duo for a mind blowing total of £16.99

You're welcome

X

I Was Born Sick

And so the trainer obsession continues..

More and more I find myself of the opinion that an outfit isn't practical or wearable if I can't wear my trainers with it. Obviously I'm not talking about the occasional dressed up affair but.. on a more everyday basis I'm all about that comfort bout that comfort no struggle.
 The lovely people at Linzi sent me over these trainers to style and let me tell you - they're a whole new level of comfort. And they're bendy.. is that a strange thing to say? I've noticed that on my search for the perfect trainer I always pick the pair up and see how far I can bend it without it snapping.. such a terrible customer. Oh, and they have a bit of neon detail.. what's not to love?

For this look I dug out my Topshop Mom jeans for a bit of a change and as you can see.. they have faded a little - as do all Topshop jeans in my experience. Nonetheless they still have a place in my heart as the ultimate cool jean. They allow me to wear a crop without making my 'I've eaten too many pies' body too obvious and for that, I am forever thankful. The jumper I'm wearing it with is a Zara number that I remember picking up last year. I was SO in love with it back then and I'm so happy to have re-kindled my love for it. It says 'Couture' across the body in white lettering which makes it even cooler in my opinion and is a refreshing take on the slogan tee trend.

Topshop Jeans, Zara Jumper, H&M Belt & Rings, Linzi Trainers*, Bug Jewellery Custom Text Ring*, Anyone's for a piece of cheese Dog.

To my absolute delight - Sandy came over for a spot of outfit post posing and since it's been a while since she's shown up around these ends, I thought it only right to give her a moment or two of fame. (Fame? Who am I kidding?)

Also - if you're wanting to know what's on my lips  ( because you MUST be wondering.. amiright?) then stay tuned for a post about my absolute favourite lip duo discovery!

X

Drugstore Beauty Haulin'

So not only have I been spending dollar on all of the high end beauty products, but apparently I'm spending it in Boots and Superdrug too! In my defence, most of these items were bought for me by lovely friends so, it's totally acceptable. One of the most surprising things for me in this whole haulin' business is that somewhere amongst the madness, I fell in love with a pink toned cream eyeshadow. Whoever saw that happening?! I've never really been one for pinky hues around my eyes, always opting for more bronze and reddy hues.. but guys, there's just somethin' about this shadow. The shadow in question of course is the Maybelline 24 hour colour tattoo shadow in the shade 'Pink Gold' and if you fancy seeing what it looks like on, you can find it all over my eyelids in pretty much every post for the last few weeks, but if you want a few close-ups then take a peek here. It's just a perfect transitional shade and and is great for all over application, brightening in the inner corner.. you name it, this beauty can do it! If you fancy taking a peek at everything else that I picked up and if you're into finding out about a drugstore dupe for a certain Charlotte Tilbury product, then you can catch my youtube video below!

Do you like me including youtube videos in my posts? And how do you feel about me indulging in my love of beauty over here in Blunderland as well as fashion? It would be great to get some feedback!!

Let me know what you've been haulin' recently!

X

Let's Talk Gloss

Charlotte Tilbury Glosses in shades Hall of Fame, Sweet Stiletto & Blondie

If I'm completely honest with you.. I've never been into gloss.. not since I tried to look thrice my age by doing a full face of clown with that added extra gloss which I probably got free in shout magazine. Thems were the days. Anyway, I digress. If you follow me on youtube, or perhaps even on twitter then you'll know by now that I have an undying love for Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk lip liner. I never knew I could love a lip liner so much.. especially in such a muted colour. Up until it's purchase I was pretty much a red lip every day gal. Oh how things change. After wearing it pretty much every day since it's arrival into my hands I began to feel that I wanted more... I didn't want to cover it with a lipstick but sometimes the matte look didn't quite feel 'spring enough'.. if you follow me? Anyway, as a Birthday treat, (as if I need an excuse) I popped over to my local CT counter in Selfridges and picked up three lip glosses. Three. 

I don't even know.

I couldn't be happier with that fact though as the formula has completely won me over. Sure my hair gets stuck to my lips when I go out in the wind.. and okay.. it makes a spontaneous smooch rather messy but.. I'm okay with that! I'm pretty sure my boyfriend is fed up of being told 'No, you can't kiss me, I've just put my gloss on' but y'know.. sometimes needs must. Am I right?

You can expect a little stickiness as it is a gloss after all.. but nothing like back in those shout days. They last really well, they're glossy without being insanely shiny and they just add that little 'somthin' somtehin' to an otherwise muted lip.  My favourite is probably 'Blondie' as it adds a lovely shimmery tone to the lips... but I love the others almost just as much.

If you want to see all of the other high-end products I splurged on and get a closer look at these badboy lip products then you can check out my haul video below!

What's your opinion on lip gloss? 

Have I tempted you to get involved?

X

Start With Sound

You may have seen this badass jumper from Cos in my recent haul video (which if you didn't, you can view in this post) and boy am I glad I bought it. It was one of those things that I'd bought and weeks had gone by without me wearing it and I was beginning to wonder if I really should have invested all of my non existent pennies it. But y'know.. then I wore it and basically fell in love with it all over again. Nothing beats swishy flowy sleeves in my opinion.. I guess I'm a little bit like a small child.

I also managed to fit this trench coat over it without it feeling too awkward which was a welcome surprise. Batwing sleeves and excess material never really mixes with layers does it?! These photo's were taken by Megs last weekend on a bit of a countryside walk which I absolutely loved. It's so nice to get out of the city, especially when I'm not the biggest fan of Birmingham anyway. It really makes me want to move to somewhere a little more rural, where you can see beautiful scenery by just wandering round the corner. I guess it helped massively that the weather was just beautiful too. Seeing how these photo's turned out has really made me want to experiment more with the location of my photo's too. It's obviously a lot easier having someone to shoot with and you don't get these kind of locations anywhere near me but.. it's certainly worth exploring and trying to find new places, so expect to see more diversity in my outfit photo's in the future!

Cos Jumper, Boohoo Leggings, Topshop Boots, Primark Trench Coat, H&M Rings, Bug Jewellery at Jewelstreet Text Ring*, Gift Necklace.

Where do you go when you want to breathe in the fresh air and take ten? I think it's important every now and again to make sure that we give a bit of time back to ourselves and have a little break in our day or routine. Even if it's just talking the dog for a walk or going for a drive with your favourite CD blasting. I know that for me, it can help make my brain feel a little less mushed.. and that's always good isn't it?

X

Daytime Sparkles

Lets talk about sparkles.. and more importantly; sparkles on clothes. Normally I'm not so much into that but I have to admit that wearing this made me feel pretty snazzy indeed. I paired it with this misguided waistcoat, some shiny leggings (because apparently I didn't have enough shine and sparkle going on with the jumper) and my trusty Toppers boots.

I wore this on a Wagamamas date with Megs at the weekend and I have to say it was one of the best days I've had in SO long.  We filmed videos ( which you can see here & here), we took photos (& so Megs is to thank for these badboys), we laughed more than I've laughed in an age, we sang along to R Kelly at the top of our lungs and just generally discussed how similar we are. (Except of course.. she's the better version)

It really made me so thankful of this whole blogging thing that we're all involved in because it really can change your life. It can allow you to be part of something, and I mean really something. A community -and a welcoming one at that - is suddenly at your fingertips and those people can become friends.. a real part of your life. I feel like I've made some really good friends through this and Megs is most definitely one of them.. we had the BEST time, and I can't wait for more opportunities to stalk the hell out of her every move because: goals.

Misguided Waistcoat, SheLikes Jumper, Boohoo Leggins, Topshop Boots, H&M Rings

On a bit of a side note - because I love to ramble in case you hadn't noticed already - My hair has been looking slightly 'blue black' in the light recently and I'm enjoying it.. a lot. It makes me want to just bleach the hell out of it like I used to and dye it some crazy colour, suggestions are welcome!

What's your opinion on sparkles for day time? I normally would have said no but I actually felt so good in this. Granted, I wouldn't wear it to walk the dog or head to the shops if that was all I was doing with my day but.. I'd definitely wear it at all possible opportunities cause basically I guess I'm a magpie.

What positive things have come out of blogging for you? Lets share the love here.

X

Style Trial: White Jeans

Today I'm back with another style trial and this time we're talking white jeans. I used to be completely against the whole idea.. but come summer last year when they seemed to be 'all the rage' they became an item I seriously lusted after but never quite found the right fit. Enter these beauties from H&M. Not only are they a great fit, ripped, and perfect in every way... but they were also only £14.99 which in case you did not know my friends.. is not a price to shake a stick at. (Is that how the saying goes? I'm pretty sure I said it wrong. Help a girl out here)

In case you didn't notice, I migrated from the summer house for these shots. I know my garden fence isn't that much to look at, but I've found that the light has been super awkward for me recently and my white jeans basically blended in with the summer house and it just wasn't about that. I'm also feeling significantly 'whale' like at the moment which is nice. I'm getting back on the fitness though and I've been trying out yoga too (More on this soon) and basically I'm a complete convert. Open heart and all that.

Oh.. that'll explain the sports bra too - in case you were wondering?

(It's kind of like a crop and it says 'mind over matter' along the bottom. I like.)

H&M Jeans, Belt & Top, Topshop Boots & Leather Jacket, Forever 21 Sports Crop

I picked these jeans up on a bit of a 'Birthday Haul' which you can watch just below! Make sure to go over and subscribe if you don't want to miss out on more of my spendy spending habits!

 What's your opinion on white jeans? I'm trying to get into this whole 'pale wash, light wash' thing.. but it's so weird when I'm used to a bit of all black evvrrythin'. Y'know?

XX