Autumn Fashion & Makeup Haul

I'll admit it: the prospect of starting uni as well as my excitement for autumn and poring over high street shops' websites for hours finally got to me and I went on a bit of a blow out. You might look at this and think 'you were quite restrained' or, you might be on the 'omg you got all this on one shopping trip?!' camp. For me, this is way more than I'd usually haul but in my opinion, its justified by the above reasons and by the fact it was mostly paid for by the tips I'd been saving for months. 

Apologies for the less-than-great picture quality. I thought it was better to hang what I could up so you could see it better. My camera also decided to run out of charge so today's snaps are 50% camera, 50% iPhone- eugh.

Superdrug: Sleek Palette £9.99 / MUA Palette £4 Boots: Natural Collection 2 for £3.50 New Look: Coat £44.99 (£49.99 without student discount) Primark: Pink Jumper £8 / Grey Charcoal Cardigan £12 / Grey Charcoal Shoes £4 / Grey Gold Scarf £4 / Black Chiffon Blouse £8 / Super High Waist Skinny Jeans £10
Its safe to say that I am so excited to wear all of this and be all cosy for the approaching season. I had an absolute rush of happiness the other day when I first noticed the leaves on the ground (probably also fuelled by the shopping buzz).
I should probably get off to sleep now and try and rid myself of what I think is freshers flu. In all honesty I thought it was a myth/ I would definitely be immune since I'm living at home but general tiredness and a throat which feels sliced have gotten the better of me. 
If you'd like to see any Freshers/ starting uni themed posts be sure to let me know. I currently have a stationery one in the pipeline. Also leave a comment telling me what you've been hauling lately.

My Go To Winter Lipstick 2014

Hey Everyone!
It is becoming a bit of a tradition to post a review of my favourite winter lipstick- just as winter is pretty much over. On one hand this doesn't give you much of a chance to wear it as a winter lipstick, but on the other the fact I've left it so long to post about emphasises just how much of a test run I've given it. 
Last year, I was all about the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in shade 107 (as was everyone and their granny). This year, I needed a purpley lipstick to match my Christmas dance dress as the Kate Moss was too red-burgundy. I searched Superdrug high and low- honestly it is mission impossible to find a good vampy lipstick in there- anytime I thought I'd done it it swatched berry-pink. I did later discover that Collection do a few good dark shades.
In this desperate search, I popped into Topshop to see if they had any offerings. Within a few minutes, I was at the checkout paying for their lipstick 'Depth'. There's actually a bit of an embarrassing story associated with that: when the checkout girl asked me if I wanted a bag for the lipstick I said 'Oh no I'll just poop it in here'- POOP?! *hangs head in embarrassment and doesn't return to Topshop for several weeks*

Anyhoo, the lipstick turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. It is a rich, creamy, oh-so-pigmented formula which looks scary in the bullet but amazing on the lips. In fact the colour is so bold that I often dab it off then reapply to make it a smidge more subtle. I always thought that for pale kids like myself dark lipsticks were a massive no-no but surprisingly I think this works with my skin tone really well. For being such a daring shade, I don't experience any bleeding off the lips and touch ups are required only after about 3 hours. I won't go on about the packaging too much as you can pretty much see it in the picture and I'm sure you're aware of the standard cutesy Topshop lipstick packaging. I will say though that it makes a lovely little click when you close it which, sad as it may sound, I find huge satisfaction in. The formula is non drying and has a slight shine. This lipstick blends really nicely with other products so is pretty versatile.I think this bold lip brings together every make up look and just says 'hi I've made an effort'. An all round winner in my eyes. I'm now super eager to try more bold lipsticks, especially Topshop ones.
What was your go-to lipstick this winter?

Currently Loving... Candles!

Hey Everyone!

I'm getting stuck into my autumn bucket list with something fairly simple- burn my candles! I don't know about you, but I think candles are quite a wintery thing and I hardly use them in summer. Therefore, by this time of year, I'm extremely excited to get back into them.

I currently have a set of tealights from Wilkinson (possibly orange and ginger) which look cute in my little candle holders- but don't have much of a scent- if any. Then, I have this pink Ikea one which smells nice and has lasted ages. I'm actually really picky when it comes to candle scents- I only like about 10% of those I smell when shopping for them. I am also really easily frustrated when candles burn at an angle and leave loads of unused wax around the sides. Enter Copenhagen Candle Company with their three-wick bad boys. I bought the Fig & Herb one from TKMaxx last winter and burned it heaps- and I still have half left for this year. The smell is gorgeous and literally fills the whole house. I was gutted when I went back to TKMaxx and there were none left. Then, during summer, I saw that they had returned and couldn't say no to this Strawberry one- I can't wait to burn it but  I'm saving it till I've finished the others.

What's your favourite brand and scent of candles?

Wardrobe Staple: Biker Jacket

Hey Everyone!
Ok, so I'm a tad late to the party- but at least I've finally showed up! In truth I've wanted a faux leather biker jacket for ages but kept thinking 'No no its just a phase, they'll go out of style and they're too expensive anyhoo.' But in actual fact this style of jacket has been recurring  in shops for the past year or two and is still going strong. So, when I spotted this one in H&M I tried it on and loved it instantly. I decided to make myself wait a few weeks, just to make sure I definitely wanted it, and then purchased it online recently. 

The jacket is supposed to be £29.99 + P&P but I was extremely lucky and managed to find voucher codes online to get 25% off plus an extra £5 off- result! In the end I paid just over £20 which I think is the bargain of the century.
Since it arrived I've worn it a lot and can definitely see it being my go-to for autumn and winter. I love that it goes with many different outfits (I might actually do a How I Style post!) and is a really nice fit and shape.
This is available at H&M and don't forget to google discount codes!
Hope you're all having a good Friday 13th and haven't walked under any ladders or seen any black cats!

My Go-To Lipstick This Winter

Hey Everyone!

So before we completely loose winter and move into the pastels and corals of spring and summer, I thought I'd tell you about the lipstick I have been absolutely loving the past season.

 

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in Shade 107 received quite a bit of hype as the winter months began- and rightly so. The formula is one of the best I've tried: smooth, extremely pigmented and has a really distinct, almost fruity smell, which I'm pretty much indifferent to. Because to colour is so bold, you need to be careful with application, but if clumsy  old me can do it, anyone can. Although its matte, its not drying at all and I don't have to wear a balm underneath  You might want to use a lip liner, but personally I don't feel I have to. The lasting power is amazing- much better than I thought, and even though it does transfer, the colour stays on your lips. It is extremely flattering and works as a evening or day shade. 

This is a lipstick that would usually be really out of my comfort zone because of how 'out there' it is but in winter I fill my wardrobe with maroon, so why not my makeup bag? I plan to wear this until the sun finally makes an appearance,and will definitely be getting it back out next winter.

Have you tried it?

FOTD: Purple/Grey Smokey Eye & Rose Lips

I'm posting everyday at 6.00pm this week: let me know in the comments if you would like me to post at set times like this more often :)

Hey Everyone!

When the stress of studying hits, one of the most enjoyable parts of the day becomes doing my makeup (is that sad?) This is one of my favourite makeup looks at the minute: a subtle smokey eye and muted pink lips.

What I'm wearing:

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Bourjois Rose D'Or Blush

MUA Undressed Eyeshadow Palette

No7 Amazing Eyes Liquid Liner

L'Oreal Telescopic Waterproof Mascara

MAC Plumful Lipstick

MUA Shade 9 Lipstick

This look is pretty simple but I think its really nice and is the beginnings of my winter makeup turning into spring. 

What kind of makeup look have you been wearing lately?

A/W 12 Trend | Statement Fur

Hey Everyone!

I mostly do beauty related posts but I really interested in fashion too and I thought I would do a few posts on what sort of thing I'm really liking this season. There are two parts to these posts- I'll post some examples of the trend on the catwalk then how I would wear it. 

When the first crispness of winter arrives, I am in no way hesitant to reach for that extra layer (or five). What makes more sense that to cosy into a protective fur jacket (faux, of course) and this season is all about making statements with that fur. 

Not being one for shawls myself, I would wear an oversized fur coat (à la Carrie Bradshaw) and cute accessories.

From experience, I have found fur jackets like this to cost an arm and a leg, so I would recommend having a nosey around vintage stores- you never know there may be some luckies!

Will you be sporting faux fur this season?

Step Into Christmas...

 Hey Everyone!

Its officially December woot woot! Today was absolutely lovely- I really made the most of my first day off in ages. I went into town with my mum and it was so Christmassy. It was great because we weren't looking for anything particular so we could just enjoy the atmosphere. It was crazy busy- especially in Debenhams which had a sale across all beauty. We sauntered about and popped into Starbucks and I got a Peppermint Hot Chocolate which was delish (and big thumbs up to the Starbucks lady who spelled my name right!) We also went into Lush; their employees are so 'out there' and positive, the smell is amazing and the Christmas sets look fantastic! The day has well and truly got me completely in the mood for Christmas!

Have you been doing anything festive lately?

Wishlist | Winter Woollies

There's nothing better than snuggling into cosy knits on cold mornings. I'm loving fair isle at the moment- its so pretty and seasonal. In my book, the key ingredients of winter (which is probably my favourite season) are amazing tv, hot chocolate (yep, still addicted) and woollies like these.

I absolutely love the studded pink cardigan from Topshop- ooh if only I had the £48 (ouch) to pay for it. I also really like the cushion- I've been looking for ways to winter-ify my room but so far I've only put a winter Me to You teddy on my shelf!

What's on your winter wishlist?

P.S Is it just me that thinks 'woollies' looks weird with a double l? Blame chrome spell check!

A/W 12 Trend | Black Leather

Hey Everyone!

I have a new post series; Autumn/ Winter 2012 trend. I mostly do beauty related posts but I really interested in fashion too and I thought I would do a few posts on what sort of thing I'm really liking this season. There are two parts to these posts- I'll post some examples of the trend on the catwalk then how I would wear it. 

Leather is a material that, in my opinion, will come into style multiple times in the future which makes it a sensible and justifiable investment now. Its the definition of edgy and is constantly being reinvented on the runway.

As always with catwalks, they exemplify the extreme of trends. I personally prefer to wear them more subtly with one statement piece. I love the Topshop leather jackets- particularly the studded one below.

If, like me, you find yourself on a budget and cannot pay £65 for a leather jacket, incorporate leather into your autumn/ winter wardrobe through bits and bobs you can find in the sale like this sheer black blouse from New Look.

Do you like the black leather trend? How will you be wearing it this season?

Winter OOTD

Hi Everyone!

I'm so excited to see my followers slowly increase day by day and I love getting comments from you guys it reminds me that I'm not just talking to myself and someone is actually interested!

Today I thought I'd do a winter themed Outfit Of The Day. Since spring is just around the corner I thought I'd put this post up to get the final few uses out of my rainy day clothes (though knowing the weather in Scotland, my rainy day clothes will be lasting me well into July!) 

Jeggings: Primark

Mac: Lipsy @ Next (Sale £80 down to £30!)

Scarf: Accessorize

I love this outfit because it is the perfect combination of comfort, practicality and I think its really nice in comparison to usual waterproofs.

The jeggings are comfortable yet they are a bit loose around the waste and it doesn't help that they don't have belt holes. I opted for braces under the jacket which actually set the outfit off well.

I love love love the mac- it goes with almost everything and is totally suited to winter. However, I had a bit of a dilemma when I first bought this as it was extremely creased and the label said do not iron. I ironed it anyway and it was fine, though I'm still not completely satisfied.

Also, the scarf is great. Like the mac it matches everything and is super cosy even though it looks pretty thin.

So that's all from me today! As ever I'm going to watch some Kardashians before bed.