Mini Spring fashion haul

I thought i'd share with you a few things i've brought over the last few weeks, i'm meant to be saving money but you know how it is!
I'd heard that Matalan had a few good pieces in for Spring, it's not a shop i ever think to go in but there's one nearby so i thought it could be worth a run out- and it was. I picked up these 2 tops and resisted my instinct to purchase black and stuck with light and airy white and cream. I love the sheer panels in the tee and the quilted texture of the quarter length sleeved top. I think they were £14 each -steal!



From Topshop i picked up some tops and although we are getting psyched up for the warmer weather in the UK it's still pretty chilly, so i think the daisy print jumper will be a useful transitional piece. But the pastels and summer crops were calling my name, especially this lilac crop which i'll wear to brighten up jeans. I also grabbed this grey crop which i've worn under an unbuttoned shirt with high waisted jeans, and when it gets warmer it'll be a great staple top to pair with almost anything.

Lastly i picked up some super summery Joni jeans from Topshop, the Joni's are my favourite jean, super high waisted and flattering and they come in so many colours. I've been wanting some white jeans but i don't know if i'm brave enough to try and pull off such a bold colour, so i went for these light washed blue ones. The style of the dying means all the pairs in the shop had varied colouring but i think these were the best of the bunch with their subtle ombre effect.

What have you been buying for Spring?

Spring beauty switch-up

In Spring it's not just fashion you can change up, i also think it's a great excuse to break out some seasonal makeup. I don't have a different makeup routine for each season, but i do think some lip colours and nail polishes are best suited to certain times of year.

When you start to get a bit of a tan it's important to make sure your base is matching your newly bronzed skin tone. Sadly it's still a bit early in the season to have the chance to tan in the UK, but once i get a bit of colour i like to switch to my mac foundations. Face And Body gives a light and dewy finish in the warmer weather, and Pro Longwear Studio Foundation SPF 15 in NC20 is my darkest shade to match my tan. The Revlon Photoready cream blush is a vibrant coral/orange which really compliments tanned skin.

For lips i enjoy using brights, nudes and pinks. I'm not a fan of pink when it comes to clothes and accessories but i think they add a lovely colour to your lips in the Spring. Ranging from natural, to coral, to fuchsia there's a pink shade to suit everyone and i love experimenting with them all.

I think nail polish is where you can have the most fun, and pastel shades are my favourites whether it be lilac, mint green, baby blue, pale pink, or any other delightful Spring shade. On the other hand i also love being able to wear neons and brights with blood orange, electric blue, lemon yellow and neon pink being favourite shades in my collection.

How do you like to brighten up your look for the sunnier weather?

Skincare saviours

I am forever fighting a battle with my skin, although it doesn't cause me trouble with excess oil or dryness i am always fighting a complexion issue. My skin type is normal but is also very prone to blemishes which i am constantly trying to tackle. In recent months i've really got into skincare as beforehand i was a face wipe and moisturiser kind of girl *hangs head in shame*. Since upping my skincare game my skin has improved a lot, but i have also accepted i am just one of those people who will never have great skin.

Here are the products i use on a regular basis to try and aid my problem skin:

Origins Out Of Trouble mask- I use this 10 minute mask a couple of times a week, or more if needed, to help with blemishes across my face. I apply this all over, leave for the recommended time and remove with a warm flannel.

Superfacialist Tea Flower Deep Clean Pure Purifying Clay Mask- I'd read that clay masks are good for drawing out the impurities from your pores, resulting in all the nasties being removed from your skin. This is the newest addition to my regime but i like to alternate using it with the previous mask. I feel this clay mask gives a deep clean rather than just tackling visible blemishes. I once again apply all over the face, leave for around 5 minutes and remove with a warm flannel.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo- I wrote about this product when i purchased it a while ago and since then its become a regular in my routine. I apply the gel-like product on problem areas every morning and evening before moisturising and it has helped keep angry breakouts and bay, and i find blemishes calm down a lot faster when i've given them a dose of this!

Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash- I use this once a week after cleansing to give my face an extra clean. A tiny bit of this goes a long way as it froths up when you start working it onto the skin. I'm not sure if this aids my blemishes but it leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean and deep cleaned.

Origins Super Spot Remover- This is my second bottle of the stuff, and although you pay a fair amount of money for a 10ml helping it does last a long time. I apply a tiny dab of this onto individual blemishes  as a final step in my routine, i don't use it everyday, only when really needed. I find this reduces angry blemishes quickly and doesn't dry out the area which i have found to be the case with previous spot treatments.

I am not claiming these products give me amazing skin, but they have helped a lot with keeping my skin on track!! Can any of you recommend any of your holy grail skin saviours?

Product empties

Over the last couple of months I’ve turned into a packaging hoarder, not because I couldn’t bare to part with pretty or luxurious boxes, but because I wanted to keep track of products I’m using up. I can’t remember exactly when this stash dates back to, but I think it’s around mid January time.

Firstly the most boring products: Cotton wool pads and deodorant. These are clearly the items I get through pretty quickly, infact my current stash is also getting low. I always buy the Boots round cotton wool pads which I use for my morning and evening skincare routine, they don’t disintegrate or leave bits of fluff stuck to your face which is probably why there are 4 packs in my empties stash.

The next not very exciting essential is deodorant, I clearly need to start buying bigger bottles! I don’t have a brand I’m loyal to so tend to try various ones, although I am about to come to the end of another Right Guard can.

In terms of body and hair care I’ve used up a bottle of Schwarzkopf Supersoft Repair & Care Coconut Conditioner, which I used as shave cream after hearing they work as a better alternative than actual shaving products. I tried this one as I thought the coconut would be moisturising for the skin, and the silky smooth conditioner would give a smooth shave- and I was impressed!

I’ve also used up Right Guard Shower + Oils, there has been a lot of hype over the benefits oils can bring to your hair so when I saw this shower gel contained Argan, Marula and Almond Oil I had to try it out for my body. And I would definitely re-purchase.

I came to the end of my V05 Nourish My Shine shampoo and conditioner, although I forgot to hold onto my empty shampoo bottle! These are super affordable and smell really good, although I can’t say I noticed much difference in terms of shine. But I would pick them up again when in need of budget haircare.

And lastly, onto the face. That sad day occurred when you come to the end of your Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, but luckily I had a spare ready and waiting as I’d loved using this product so much.

 I’ve recently got into face masks, hence the 2 Lush pots. The small one was Catastrophe Cosmetic but I found this a little drying for my skin although it claimed to help with blemishes, so after some research I went back and brought BB Seaweed which suited me much better. I love the Lush fresh face masks, although some people find putting the chilled, thick product all over your face a bit strange, I find them really natural and calming.

And finally, my Maybelline The Falsies Waterproof has seen better days, I liked this mascara a lot so re-purchased but made the error of not buying the waterproof formula. My new one now leaves some smudges under my eyes which isn’t a good look, so I will make sure I purchase the right one in future!

What products has everybody else been using up?

Weekly Loves #5

So this week I turned the grand old age of 22, I know in the grand scheme of things this isn't an old age but to me it marks the end of the 'young' years. I think because turning 21 is kind of a big deal and an exciting age, this birthday just didn't excite me.

Having said that, this weeks loves is purely birthday based as i got some lovely treats from my friends and family.

On my birthday morning i was greeted by this monster chocolate cake which my mum had made for me by her friend, the picture doesn't quite do it justice size-wise but it is seriously huge! I'm always drawn to the pretty cakes that are decorated in pretty pink icing and delicate decorations, but my mum knows that chocolate cake is always the top of my list. This one is even decorated in some of my favourite chocolates.

On saturday night i headed out with a few friends which turned out to be a really fun night to say our local town is hardly the party capital. But if you drink enough wine, try not to stick to the floors and dodge the pervy 40 year old men you can have a good night!

As if the monster chocolate cake wasn't enough, my friend also got me a rainbow cake which i'd always wanted to try. It even came topped with Disney princess candles- he knows me too well!

Pre- birthday celebrations in London

So i appear to have abandoned the blog for a few days now, shame on me i know, but i do have a reason as to why i've been MIA. I went to London for a long weekend to visit some uni friends, a trip that was long overdue, and also tagged on a couple of extra days to stay with my Dad. It's my birthday tomorrow, i'm still trying to come to terms with the fact i'm turning 22- where are the years going?! So this trip was like a pre- birthday celebration.

I am very disappointed in myself that i haven't come home with many pictures but that has to be a sign of a good trip right? There's not much time for snapping away when you're having a good time.

On Friday night i met my friend from work and we headed for a drink or two at a bar in Hoxton, the London nightlife is one of the things i miss the most about the city, I love that there's always so much activity and bustling atmosphere wherever you go. The night ended with a late night dominoes and chill out session back at my friends flat- a great way to end a day of travelling.

Saturday evening saw us head into central London to meet a couple more friends for dinner and after much deliberation we had made a reservation at Cocochan, which turned out to serve the most delicious food. Our table was soon full of an array of Asian dishes including from Dim Sum, Thai green curry, spring rolls, duck salad, edamame, jasmine rice, chilli and lime chicken and of course cocktails and wine. Oh god i'm getting so hungry just writing about it. After dinner we headed to Carnaby Street for gin and tonics... and more wine.

I was also treated to some birthday cupcakes handmade by my friend which were super tasty, that tasty infact i asked for the recipe so i can attempt to make my own.

So all in all i had a lovely few days away, it's always so nice to be reunited with close friends as we all live in different places now. One of the girls brought along her snazzy Fuji polaroid camera and captured some cute photos although sadly she isn't in the one below as she was playing photographer!

What's In My Bag

What’s In My Bag posts are regular features throughout the blogging world, and I love being able to cyber snoop through peoples bags. Yes, I know that makes me really nosey but I think it’s interesting to see how handbag essentials differ from one girl to another. So for any nosy people such as myself, here’s what I carry in my bag.

The bag I’m currently using is the Michael Kors Selma in orange, I think mine is the medium size but the collection has vastly increased in the year since I’ve had mine, so I’m not too sure! My Dad brought it for me for my 21^st birthday last year which was an amazing present!

The main thing I obviously always carry with me is my purse and I brought this leather tan Osprey one just after Christmas. It has plenty of room for cards and notes, and equally for change, although sadly it’s never overflowing with either. I also carry around my diary but I’m not too sure why as I tend to write everything on my phone, but the glitter and bird print makes this Paperchase one make too cute to be left at home. I have a habbit of always carrying a mini umbrella with me, as even though you can leave the house in glorious sunshine it’s highly probable it will rain at some point. Got to love the UK weather…  

When it comes to bits and bobs I stash them in a Cath Kidston zip up pouch, the likes of hair pins, bobbles, mini perfumes, tissues, odd sweets and paracetomol can all be found in there. I’m the person my friends always come to for any random supplies! There’s also always a pack of chewing, hand sanitiser (I’m a bit OCD with it) and some Carmex lip balm floating around. I think the cutest thing I carry in my handbag is my Estee Lauder compact mirror that my Auntie gave me, it is detailed with my birthstone and even has a translucent powder inside.

Other essentials are my keys which I never loose in the bottom of my bag as they’re attached to a selection of cat keyrings, resulting in them looking like they belong to a 12 year old. My Iphone comes everywhere with me, and so does my Ipod if I remember to charge it, which I evidently didn’t on this occasion. When it comes to makeup it changes on a daily basis, as I tend to throw in anything I think I might need. This usually consists of powder, concealer and a lipstick, I’m definitely not one of those girls who carries round their entire makeup bag, that sounds like far too much effort!

Does anyone else get satisfaction from seeing what others carry in their bags?

Weekly Loves #4

You will never see me without nail polish on, i actually feel naked without it. I think it's like makeup, once you get used to seeing yourself with it on, you just don't feel right without it. I usually have a block colour on my nails but this week i thought i'd try something new. I opted for a nude/glitter combo which i think is a refreshing change from pastels for the start of Spring. I'm wearing Essie's Muchi, Muchi as the base, with Models Own Hedkandi Ibiza mix as the glitter topcoat.

I brought this Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in As You Want Victoria a few months ago, i've always loved the colour but as the formulation is so moisturising it bleeds a lot into my skin. It's a beautiful bright fuchsia shade which for some reason refused to show up correctly on my camera, so really isn't shown at its full potential in this image. Anyway, i rediscovered this product recently and decided i had to find a way to wear it so tried it with a 'your lips but better' coloured lip liner which worked wonders! Now it stays in place much better and has been a regular on my lips.

Ireland Baldwin's purple hair! Everything about this girl warrants her as girl crush material, but when she took to Instagram this week to show off her newly coloured locks it made me even more jealous, for the pure reason i could never pull off something so bold and cool. I'm also wishing i had blonde hair so i could play around with some more subtle pastel dip dye for the summer!

Boots haul | Going nude

The Boots 3 for 2 offer is a dangerous time for me, as i'm sure it is for many of you, especially this time as pretty much the whole store is included in this deal. I restrained myself and only purchased some makeup products, i might have to venture back though and hit up the skincare!

I was on the search for a new blusher to take me through the Spring months, and i've been wanting to attempt the nude lip without getting a case of the dreaded foundation lips look. With this is mind my purchases resulted in a definite nude/ natural theme.

For blush i opted for the Revlon Powder Blush in Racy Rose, which i was drawn to as it has no shimmer in it, and looked to be the perfect pink to add a subtle glow. I've been using this everyday since i brought it which must mean it was a good buy! It blends nicely on the skin, and can be built up to give the desired flush of colour.
Lip products have become my recent obsession, weather it be a lipstick, gloss, balm or any other kind of hybrid that gets invented- i want it! I've wanted to try the new Revlon Colourburst Matte and Lacquer balms since they hit the shelves, but i wanted to make sure i got a shade that bought something a bit different to my collection. I'd read a few reviews which claimed Matte balm Complex was the perfect nude, so i decided that was the shade i would opt for as a base for my nude lip. The final product falls into the lip hybrid catergory and it's the L'oreal L'extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick in the shade Rose Melody. I saw these featured in one of Fleur De Force's recent videos and felt i needed to try one! I brought this intending to use it either as a gloss to use over the Revlon Balm, or on its own for a natural hint of glossy colour. I've tried it both ways but it's more sheer than i expected after swatching it, so i'm still figuring out how to get the best results out of this one.

Has anyone else increased their makeup collection on the 3 for 2 offer?

Weekly Loves #3

So this week sees us enter March, which to me marks the start of Spring... hopefully. I am so ready for the weather to get brighter and warmer, and to be able to pack away the tights and winter coats. Flowers always brighten up my mood aswell as a room, so to get into the Spring spirit i added some pretty florals to my bedroom.

In keeping with the Spring trend, i managed to get my hands on a pastel pink coat which is something i've wanted for a while now. I scoured the internet high and low, and finally decided to try out this one from Boohoo. I didn't get my hopes too high as in the past i've been disappointed with their items once i've seen them in the flesh, but this coat was a winner! I've had a lot of compliments on it too, and to see me wearing it check out my OOTD post below.

Are there even any words to caption this picture?! On Saturday my mum and I decided to go to Centre Parcs for an afternoon outing, Sherwood Forest Centre Parcs is a 5 minute drive from my house so is the perfect place for a little trip out. Our walk was slightly cut short when we felt the need to hit The Pancake House... and this happened, the American pancake stacks. They were so good but left us in a bit of a sugar coma, but it was totally worth it. You have to end the week with a treat, right?

Today I'm Wearing | Monochrome & Pastel

Playsuit | Boohoo

Coat | Boohoo

Boots | Topshop

Watch | Michael Kors

Bracelet | Pandora

Weekly Loves #2

This week i finally got my hands on the Topshop All Sorts boots. I've had my eyes on them for a while, but resisted due to having purchased a fair few pairs of chunky black boots throughout the season. But my willpower diminished and they ended up coming home with me. I've worn them a couple of times already, and they go with pretty much everything in my wardrobe so i know i'll be getting a lot of wear out of them!

Lush is a dangerous shop, you can enter with no intention of buying anything, yet leave with a bag full of goodies. Well this time i didn't end up with a bag full of products which is quite an achievement, it was just the Ocean Salt Scrub that ended up in my basket. I think i have a decent selection of most skincare products, but a face scrub is something i was lacking, which is why this caught my eye! Firstly it smells AMAZING, it's so fresh and citrusy as it contains lime and grapefruit. You only need to apply the tiniest amount to your skin, and the salt gradually dissolves into an ultra moisturising cream leaving your face feel clean, yet not dried out.

I have a candle obsession. I have so many in my room, and even spare ones stashed away that i couldn't resist buying, but have no where to display them! I love the smell of Yankee Candles but they're pretty pricey, and i can't always justify spending £20 on one. I recently discovered the Yankee Candle oil burners which you use to burn their oil tarts. You place the tart in the top dish, and light a tealight underneath which gradually melts the tart, filling the room with an amazing scent. I've discovered you only need to break of a small piece of the tart as a little goes a long way, which means they last a really long time, and they are so cheap to buy. The same amazing Yankee Candle scents at a much cheaper price!

The faces of Fashion Week

When it comes to Fashion Week it's not just the clothes that get attention and make headlines, the models are also highly anticipated and everyone is on the look out for who could become the next big runway sensation. 

Cara Delevingne is currently one of the biggest faces in fashion. She fronts designer campaigns, graces best selling magazine covers and of course hits the catwalk during Fashion Week. This season her Fashion Week status reached a new level when she fronted the Mulberry show launching the Cara Delevingne collection, also making her the latest addition to the celebrity inspired Mulberry bags including the Alexa, and the Del Rey.

Next up is Jourdan Dunn who was famously scouted whilst shopping in Primark. From watching interviews with her she seems so down to earth and a natural London girl, which is really refreshing when so many models who reach 'celebrity status' get caught up in the hysteria of fame. I think Jourdan has one of the most striking faces ever, how is it fair for one woman to have so many amazing features?! I'm obviously not jealous at all... This season she walked in shows including Giles Deacon and Topshop Unique, as pictured above.

A slightly more recent face to Fashion Week is Suki Waterhouse, firstly how amazing is that name! I'm not quite sure when she first came onto the scene but i've noticed her quite a lot just recently, i'm not too sure if that's because of her amazing doll-like face, or the fact she's dating Bradley Cooper... Once again, obviously so not jealous. As the face of Burberry's campaign she unsurprisingly hit the catwalk this season, so as a fairly new addition does she have what it takes to become the next big modelling sensation?

Weekly Loves #1

I thought i'd add something a little different to the blog today, something that makes a change from my ramblings about clothes and beauty, although i'm sure those topics will sneak there way into these posts too! When i go through my phone i constantly find saved images and Instagram screenshots (is anyone else bad for that?), so i thought i'd share my weekly interests with you on here. Although you may not find them particularly interesting, i seem to hoard a worrying amount of photos of food, highly coveted clothes and funny memes... no wonder i got an email today saying my iCloud space was full!!

I found this coat on Boohoo which is a great dupe for the Topshop boyfriend coat that's now out of stock. I missed out on the Topshop original due my indecisiveness, so got a bit over excited when i spotted this at half the price and instantly added it to my online shopping bag. As i was about to check out it went out of stock- SO FREAKIN' ANNOYING, when will i learn to buy things when i first see them?

Totally random, but these cookies are so good i've eaten nearly two packets this week, oops. As if a cookie isn't good enough on its own, these have a soft centre which tastes just like Nutella- what a dream. You'll be thanking me when you try them!

I've been obsessing over Kylie Jenner's short hair for a couple of weeks, it's making me think about getting mine cut shorter again, and it makes me miss my ombre colour. Infact i just want to look like her in general- i'll look into the plastic surgery once i've had my hair done!

Kendall Jenner walks for Marc Jacobs

Today London Fashion Week has kicked off in the big city. Paris and New York have already shown many collections over the last couple of weeks, and now the spotlight is on London to showcase some of the big AW14 trends.

But anyway, onto the exciting stuff! On Thursday Marc Jacobs' show bought an end to NYFW with an unexpected face on the catwalk, KENDALL JENNER! As a self confessed Kardashian/ Jenner fan i found this totally exciting (yes i'm aware how lame this actually sounds), but walking the Marc Jacobs runway is pretty major, right?! There's already backlash surrounding her appearing in the show, with people slating her for showing her boobs, and speculation over whether it's another publicity stunt for the Kardashian brand. Anyway, i think she looks pretty major and definitely pulls off the look of a Marc Jacobs model, and as for the lack of top; she's 18 years old, and if there was ever a good cause to get your boobs out for the world to see, i think a world famous designer catwalk could just be it! 

The Body Shop haul

I know there's been a bit of a haul overload over the past week or so, i obviously got a bit carried away with my spending. This parcel actually arrived over a week ago so i'm a bit behind with this one, but i got some total bargains so had to post about it!

The Body Shop had 40% off everything online and instore, and before i knew what was happening i'd made a cheeky little online order. I'd had my eye on a couple of products for a while, but was planning to wait until i'd used up my current skincare stash before purchasing, but how could i not make use of 40% off?! So this happened...

Clockwise from top left- Camomile silky cleansing oil | Camomile sumptuous cleansing butter | Coconut beautifying oil | Muslin cloth

Camomile silky cleansing oil- I decided to give this a go as i'd been intrigued by the Mac cleanse off oil for a while, and felt i needed to experience what it was like to remove makeup with an oil- something i found quite a weird concept at first. The camomile range is fairly new and when i spotted this i thought it was a good way to experiment with a cleansing oil, especially at its bargain price!

Camomile sumptuous cleansing butter- Along with the cleansing oil this is a product that had been on my radar for a while, so it had to be added to the basket on this order. Once again i haven't used a butter as a makeup remover, and i've read this is actually more like a balm texture so thought it would make a nice change to my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. It has a really gentle and natural scent, so i'm hoping it will be nice and soothing, and effective, on my skin.

Coconut beautifying oil- All i can say about this purchase is: Who doesn't want to smother there body in coconut oil?! The smell instantly makes me think about the summer and being on holiday, so i'm hoping this will bring a little bit of summertime happiness to my life when i'm using it.

Muslin cloth- This was £1.50 with the 40% off, and you can never have to many muslin cloths. My Liz Earle ones are starting to look a little bit sad and it's always good to have a spare stash of these!

I got all of these products for around £20 which would have cost me roughly £37 full price, so all in all i think this was a pretty successful haul, do you?

Today I'm Wearing | Topshop gingham dress

Dress | Topshop

Leather jacket | All Saints

Scarf | Zara

Hat | River Island

Boots | New Look

Bag | Michael Kors

Mini beauty haul

As i said at the end of my previous clothes haul post, i also picked up a few beauty pieces, so i thought i'd share them with you here!

Clockwise from top right: Soap & Glory Puffy Eye Attack, Body shop Vitamin E overnight serum-in-oil,  Body shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream, Dr Bronner's Magic Soap

Soap & Glory Puff Eye Attack- An eye-cream had been on my list of things to buy for a while and this one from Soap & Glory is the one that made the cut. I'm using the Origins Gin-Zing eye product also, but as it leaves a shimmer effect on the skin and is supposed to brighten the eyes, it's not a product i wanted to use at night. The Puff Eye Attack claims to help dark circles, and puffy-ness- something i'm not going to turn my nose up to! The product is a gel-like formula which can be used day and night and so far i'm getting on well with it, but time will tell if it really does what it says on the box.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-oil- Firstly, oh my god what a mouth full, certainly not the most concise name! I've been wanting to try a face oil for quite some time but have been dubious about doing so, something about putting oil on my face makes me a bit nervous, i have visions of horrible breakouts and super slick skin! But i bit the bullet and decided to give it a go. I came across this in The Body Shop on the day of its release and thought it would be a good product to ease me into the world of face oils, without paying the high end prices of the famous Kiehl's and Estee Lauder leading face oils. A couple of drops of this sink into my skin nicely, without leaving the oily residue i was worried about and in the morning my skin does feel super soft and replenished.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream- This product came with the face oil as an introductory offer, i'm not sure how much use i'll get out of this as i'm happy with my current Origins moisturisers, but i'm not one to turn down a freebie! I have only tried it once on a no makeup day and although it felt very moisturising i won't be opting to use it over my favourites- but it will remain as a back-up in my product stash.

Dr Bronner's Magic Soap- Ok this was a total impulse buy as i'd read a lot about these soaps and was pretty intrigued by them, i went for the scent eucalyptus as i think it smells very natural- almost like tea tree. I've no idea what i'm going to use this for as quite frankly the insane list of things you can use this product for overwhelms, AND slightly concerns me. Putting it on my face, body and hair i can accept, but brushing teeth, washing dishes, pest control (what?!) and window cleaning leave me a little confused. The soap is fair trade and is made from organic oils but i'm yet to decide what i'm brave enough to use it for- maybe it can be my make-up brush cleaner?!

Fashion haul

So when i was in London last week i might have done a bit of shopping, in fact quite a lot of shopping. But i've found two ways to justify it to make myself feel a bit better about the amount of stuff i brought home: Number 1- my Dad was feeling rather generous so very kindly treated me to a lot of the clothes, and number 2- i thought the Christmas sales were really rubbish, so now i'm making up for it!

So i thought i'd do a brief haul of everything that ended up in my shopping bags. First up is Zara where i stocked up on basic tops that i think i'll get a lot of use out of, and EVERYTHING i got was from the sale, and were major bargains. I paid between £3.99-£9.99 for each of these pieces- what a steal?!

Next up is Topshop, i went to the Oxford Circus flagship which was surprisingly bearable to shop in, i usually get stressed out in there after about five minutes. I desperately needed some basic blue jeans so opted for a pair of Jamie's, and also found the Joni jeans in olive green which is a shade i'd not seen before. Joni's are my favourite fit, they're super skinny and high-waisted so i know i'll wear these alot.

And lastly are some random pieces i picked up on my travels. The striped jeans are from Pull & Bear which isn't somewhere i usually buy from but i decided to pop in as i was passing the door, and i spotted these. They were reduced from £29.99 to £9.99, and when i see a good reduction things seem to end up coming home with me. They're something a bit different for me so i thought i'd give them a go. Finally are some socks, because you can never have too many, right? I got the Topshop pairs to wear with black cut out boots as i love a bit of tartan at the minute, and as for the animal ones, who doesn't want cats on their socks?

I also got a few beauty products but i will feature those on a separate haul as i fear this one will turn into a bit of an essay...

And finalyyy, weather permitting i'm thinking of doing some look book pictures featuring some of the new things i've got, so keep an eye out for that!

Micellar cleansing water reviews

I was quite late getting on the Bioderma bandwagon, I purchased my first bottle only a few months ago. I’d seen all the reviews claiming the Sensibio H20 Micellar Solution was like cleansing your skin with water whilst removing all traces of makeup, even stubborn eye makeup. So naturally I needed to give it a go.

After using my Bioderma for a few weeks I decided a micellar cleansing water was something I needed to incorporate into my skincare routine, I personally like to use it to remove the majority of my makeup at night before using my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, and I also use it as part of my morning routine. I purchased my Bioderma online as it isn’t easily available in stores where I live, although I have spotted it in some independent London stores- you lucky Londoners!

As I was getting through Bioderma pretty quickly I decided to go on the hunt for a drugstore alternative, something more readily available, and preferably cheaper than the £10ish price tag. There were two products that I decided to try that I’ve been using for a about six weeks, so after giving them a fair trial I decided to review them, and see if anything can rival the holy grail Bioderma.

Bioderma: I hadn’t used a product like this before and was a little dubious about its claims to ‘Cleanse, remove makeup and sooth’ sensitive skin. I had visions of the water-like product smearing my makeup all over my face rather than removing it, but oh how wrong was I! With the sweep of a cotton pad your makeup is effortlessly removed, and your skin is left feeling clean, refreshed and not sore- which I sometimes find with using other liquid cleansing products. It really is like washing your face with water, except this really does the job!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water- I spotted this in Savers, somewhere I often forget about when looking for beauty products, but it’s worth a look as they have most drugstore brands but at even lower prices. I picked this up for £2.99 and it’s a 400ml bottle, so a total bargain! As Savers don’t have a website I'll link you to Boots where you can also get your hands on it. This product makes the same claims as Bioderma- ‘Removes makeup + cleanses + soothes’ and can be used with sensitive skin on the face, eyes and lips. Overall I’m really happy with this product, it removes my makeup well and feels very natural on the skin- no fragranced scent or oily residue. I also don’t need to use a lot of product to get the job done, a couple of cotton wool pads clears my face.

L’OREAL Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution- This is another skincare bargain I picked up in Savers for £2.99, I’d seen it in Boots for £4.99 and was happy to buy it at that price, but not one to turn down an offer I obviously brought the cheapest I found! Once again it has the same claims as the previous products so I thought it was worth a try. This product does the job, but there’s something about it that doesn’t quite work for me, I find it slightly soapy on my skin. It doesn’t feel as pure and natural as the other waters, my face almost feels as if it needs washing after using this. I also noticed that if the bottle gets shaken up, soap-like bubbles appear at the top (does that make any sense?!), something that doesn’t happen with the Bioderma or Garnier, which makes me think the solution has some kind of nasty extra added in.

Overall if I had to rate these cleaning waters I would put Bioderma in 1^st place, Garnier in 2^nd, and L’OREAL 3^rd. I’m still happy to use the L’OREAL product but wouldn’t repurchase it, but for me the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is a great alternative to the Bioderma, and I would happily repurchase as a budget dupe for the famous French brand. Have you tried any of these products, or found any other dupes?