a few beauty purchases

Left to right: Sleek blush in Pixie Pink, Topshop eye palette in Golden Aura, Maybelline blush in Rosewood

I'm really into beauty and make up at the moment. I never really used to be, but since following lots of bloggers and YouTubers I've become quite obsessed with having loads of make up to choose from, and doing my face in the morning feels like such a treat. These are just a few recent (or not so recent) purchases. I wanted to include my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette but since there are so many reviews, and the Naked 3 is the newer version I thought I'd just stick to these more drugstore/high street brands.

Sleek Blush: Pixie Pink
I love really strong Barbie-esque pinks for my face. I'm not sure if they totally suit me, but I'm a big fan of these uber girly colours. I've heard such brilliant things about Sleek make-up I thought I had to buy some blush, its the first Sleek product I've tried and it seems lovely. Really pigmented and such a bargain at only £4.49.

Topshop Palette: Golden Aura
After loving my Topshop lip bullet I thought I'd give some more Topshop make up a go. I bought this palette a while back, hence the dirt and general mess! Its four quite shimmery neutrals for a natural smokey eye effect. They're lovely colours for a very basic palette but they aren't hugely pigmented. After getting my hands on the Naked 2 palette I've been using this less and less. The colour pay off just isn't as good. For travelling this palette is great though, as it's very versatile, creating super easy looks for day or night.

Maybelline Blush: Rosewood
This is a sort of coral-y, orange-y, red-y blush. I bought it as a sort of crossover between a blush and a bronzer as it gives a very bronzed, golden effect. It comes with a brush, which is super handy for travelling but I tend to just use a normal blush brush as it's easier to blend. As weird as it is to say, this blush smells so good. Not the usual chemical make up smell. Its a really good blush for just popping some colour on, I wouldn't want to use it at the same time as a bronzer as I think it may look a little overdone, or just too bronzed.

back to blogging

Denim Jacket: Topshop, Top and Skirt: H&M, Shoes: River Island

I keep taking breaks from blogging as I set up my life. Sorry about that, now I'm home I'm going to get back into the swing of it all again - moving around is super stressful. I'm pretty much settled back at home now, all moved out of uni for the very last time which is really sad. Lots of my friends have jobs and seem to be getting on with their lives, so I'm hoping my turn will come soon.

I went and visited a friend who has just started her dream job in London last weekend. She lives literally five minuets from Oxford Street so we basically just shopped the whole time I was there. I picked up this awesome oversized denim jacket in Topshop. I've been after one for a while as I don't really have any jackety things that are summer appropriate.

I threw on this summery outfit to run a few errands today. It was super comfy and the sandals. THE SANDALS. best things ever. I usually hate wearing sandals and just stick to converse in the summer, but these River Island ones are so structured they feel basically like proper shoes. I absolutely love them. 

Also, yes my hair is different. I got an ombre/dip dye/whatever you want to call it. It was a few months ago now, but I'll do a before and after sometime soon. 

tropicana

Jacket: Dorothy Perkins, Crop Top: H&M, Skirt: New Look, Tights: Primark, Shoes: Office, Bag: Primark

My friend took this super quickly before we headed for another long day in the library. I'm so close to finishing my degree now, another 4000 word essay and then freedom! Although this freedom may include unemployment and lots of crying... we shall see!

This top and skirt are new purchases after I had a meltdown about how few clothes I had. I never really go for bold prints or monochrome, but I really loved this outfit and I think both pieces, the skirt especially,  are great for day and night. They were super cheap too! Once my degree comes to an end hopefully I'll have more time to blog. I bought a new eye shadow palette from Topshop recently that I'm loving so I'll post a review of that soon.

Sorry for the awkward pose, I'm used to taking photos of myself and found it so awkward having someone else taking my photo!

roman holiday

Whole outfit: Topshop

I'm headed to Rome in June with my mum and I recently picked up this skirt for my trip. I'm never usually one for long skirts, but in some cases certain churches, and the Vatican, don't let you in if you aren't wearing 'appropriate' clothing. I absolutely love it though, so perhaps in the future I'll be a bit more adventurous and wear this skirt outside of my holiday! The sandals are another holiday purchase, they're Topshop's 'Heartbreakers'. I love them, though I do think everyone under the sun will be wearing them this summer. I think this outfit is cute, but needs a bit of colour or jewelry. Perhaps next time I'll brighten it up with some lipstick. And I definitely need to paint my toenails! 

Bag: Primark

I've been looking for a new handbag for so long. My old Urban Outfitters one fell apart a good few months ago and I've been surviving on tote bags for far too long. I always go for brown leather (well, fake leather) for my bags, I don't know why to be honest, they just always seem to go with everything. I finally picked up this Primark one for £8 the other day. I'm really surprised, I usually avoid Primark, but this bag is pretty great - although I don't see it lasting for very long, but for £8 you can't really complain.

out tonight + topshop lip bullet

Top: Topshop, Skort: Topshop, Shoes: Topshop

Skort: Topshop

I'm off out tonight, and I think this is the outfit I'm going to wear. I've only just realised how Topshop heavy it is! The crop top is very old, but they do still sell it. I washed it in a dubious looking washing machine at a hostel and it's not been the same since - but it works well here. The gingham skort (I think that's the name we'll go for!) is a new purchase from the flagship store in London. I've never liked skorts much, but since putting one on my wishlist, I've been hankering after a pair.

I'm also wearing Topshops Lip Bullet in 'Bewitched', which is another new purchase. I'm not a huge beauty expert, and I very rarely wear lipstick, but this matte pink is really great. It's a very melty and creamy formula, so be careful where you store it.

Lip Bullet in 'Bewitched'

Yes, this is a selfie. 

Wishlist #2

Left to right: Dress: Miss Selfridge, Top: Topshop, Skort: New Look, Shoes: Topshop, Backpack: Topshop

This is a rather Topshop heavy wishlist. I've been in my local store loads recently and  not seen anything I like, but everything on the website is so great! I love the black ugly shoes. Styled with some frilly socks they would be perfect for a party. I tried the Miss Selfridge dress on a few days ago. I love it because it's super summery and very Taylor Swift-esque (I love Taylor Swift). It didn't look quite right, but I still love it.

I used to absolutely hate this skort trend. When everyone started wearing the plain Zara ones I thought I would never ever like them. Until I came across these adorable gingham ones in New Look. This summery trend for gingham is my favourite thing about this season so far. Everything just looks so much cuter in gingham. The cropped top above would look great, and give the skorts and edge for a night out. 

skincare routine

I recently wrote an article about the importance of a healthy skincare routine for my university newspaper so I thought I would let you guys know what my skincare routine is! I have fairly oily skin, which can be prone to break outs - but annoyingly enough, it can get pretty dry too. I swear by these products for making my skin feel a million times better on days that I want to hide under a mountain of foundation (never a good idea!)

Face B4

This stuff is honestly incredible. It's a combination of cleanser and toner, with anti-bacterial stuff in. The day I started using in my spots virtually disappeared. It doesn't smell great, quite chemically, and it's not cheap, but it's so worth it. My skin has never looked as good as it does now. 

Freederm Exfoliating Wash

I don't use this stuff everyday, usually about once a week. It can be a little harsh, especially on sensitive skin. I tend to concentrate it on my T-Zone, and my nose, as I get slightly rough skin here. I wouldn't say it helps with spot prone skin, like it promises, but it's a decent exfoliater, and it's not too pricey either. 

Clarins Daily Energizer Lotion

This is a wonderful moisturizer, and smells divine. I don't use this everyday as it is very pricey, so I switch it up with a cheap Boots one. I use this on days when my skin feels like it really needs a good moisture boost. It works an absolute treat in making my skin feel lovely.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter

For my body I love this rich body lotion. I usually get unscented, as otherwise it clashes with my perfume - but the scented stuff smells like chocolate and vanilla, which is just the best thing in the world. It's very rich and thick, which I love, and keeps my legs feeling super soft all day. 

dressy for day

Top and skirt: H&M; Tights: Marks and Spencer; Socks: Topshop, Boots: Office

This is a fairly dressy outfit for me. My usual day time apparel consists of a pair of shorts and some sort of jumper or knitwear. But I've decided this term I want to make a bit more of an effort. I picked up this skirt yesterday in H&M, it's quite different from my normal taste, but I love the school girl chic look it has, and I never wear enough red so it's pretty excellent.

The boots are another new thing for me. My old Topshop lace-up pair have pretty much died, although I'm *hopefully* getting them re-heeled, but I bought these from Office when I was in London a few weeks ago. I love them. They're cut out too, so I can wear adorable socks - like these Topshop pair, with them. I also have some of those cute frilly topped socks that I'll wear with these boots too. 

old and new

Jumper: Zara; Shorts: Urban Outfitters; Tights: M&S; Shoes: Bertie Boots

So I'm back at university now, for my last ever term before I graduate in July. It's starting to really hit home that I'm leaving in 6 months and everyone seems to be panicking about graduate jobs and schemes which is, quite frankly, terrifying.

I went out for some retail therapy today, I only picked up a few things, perhaps I'll do a haul post soon. I wore this Zara jumper that I've been wearing to death since I bought it over summer. I absolutely love it. It's a little bit cropped, but not too much, I can wear it knowing I won't show too much skin. These shorts are very new, I picked them up in London a few days ago. I already have a pair of lighter denim shorts, but I've been after a darker pair for months and these are just right. I haven't worn the boots since my first year at university (2 years ago!) They were hiding under my bed, and I forgot how much I love them! They're fur lined which makes them super comfy and perfect for the freezing January weather.