Taming Frizz

Hi everyone!

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been buying a few too many beauty products lately. My hair is SO frizzy as it is naturally very curly, which means it gets dry and looks a bit like Mia Thermopolis pre- princess make over.

but worse.

Fashion Union Wishlist!

Fashion Union is the website I discovered after a bad experience with Missguided. I came across a pair of shorts I loved when Fashion Union was advertised on a blog and I've loved it ever since. I have got myself that pair of shorts, 3 jumpers, a dress and a pair of heels from there in the last couple of months, so I was really excited to be given the opportunity to win a £500 voucher to spend on their website!

Here is a little compilation of some of my favourite pieces the site has to offer for this turn of the season. Trust me, I had a lot of trouble narrowing it down!

Breaking Out!

A brief beauty review for you all today!

So I've been suffering from a bit of a break out recently, which is fortunately a rarity for me. I've been using the Superdrug sachet masks for ages, but I wasn't really using the full sachet so was getting a lot of waste, so I went hunting for a tube version. I found a little selection in Superdrug- they were all on offer and weren't massive tubes so if I didn't like it, there wasn't too much financial or physical waste.

Wrap up!

Sorry for being a little bit absent- I've been busy getting ready to move back to uni!

And so that familiar autumnal chill is definately in the air this week, bit of a shock to many peoples systems! My last post listed 5 reasons why Autumn and Winter are great and this is sort of like a follow on (if you didn't get a chance to see it, have a little look here).

I went shopping the other day and couldn't help but notice the massive amount of gorgeous jumpers there are this year! So I thought I would compile you a quick wish list of some of my favourites.  I've picked 3 expensive, 3 medium priced and 3 cheapy ones so there is something to suit everyones budgets!

NB: I'm an unashamed fan of the 'ugly' Christmas jumper. I just can't help but love them.

Prices L to R: £36.00, £42.00, £38.00

The first little selection comes from H! by Henry Holland at Debenhams. I've never really looked in this section before, but these cute little jumpers just caught my eye! They are so soft and cosy, I found myself putting them on my Christmas list! Very festive, a little pricey but there's 20% off them at the moment, so have a little look if any of these take your fancy!

H! by Henry Holland 

Prices L to R: £26.00, £22.00, £15.00

These are all from Dorothy Perkins. A bit more reasonably priced and the middle one is so cute! The last one also comes in various other colours, but this is my favourite- I am a firm believer in not being able to accept it's A/W until I am wearing something burgundy. This one also comes in a very similar style with the same range of colours for £18. 

Dorothy Perkins 

Prices L to R: £7.00, £5.00, £8.00

Although ASOS now stocks some Primark products, unfortunately these jumpers aren't included, so you'll have to get yourself down to a store and rummage around! (I've tried to take relatively decent photos of the three latest ones I have bought to show you). They're all pretty basic crew necks, but that's all I really wanted from Primark, although the grey one does have a lush criss-cross back! They're super cute if you pop on a little collared blouse underneath and poke the collar out (that's what I tend to do) and they come in LOADS of different colours. Perfect, purse friendly additions to your A/W wardrobe!  Although I did get them in a size bigger, just in case of any shrinking. The blue one is my favourite- the quality is much better than the pink and it's so soft and cosy!

I hope you enjoyed my little selection- obviously there are so many more but I didn't want to bore you too much with talk of jumpers! Although there are some particularly hideous-but-I-love-them Christmas jumpers in Primark.  A guilty part of me is slightly hoping Mum gets me one for a joke...

A little side note- I will be starting up a You Tube channel in the next few months so stay tuned for that and be sure to let me know of any videos you would like me to do! Don't forget to Like my page on Facebook and Follow my blog if you enjoyed this post!

Thanks for reading- hope you are all well! Have a lovely week!

Hello September!

So my friends, September has struck, the nights will be drawing in and before we know it, we'll all be decking the halls ready for Christmas and the snow will be falling, all around us (see what I did there? No? Oh...).

Autumn and Winter signal the end of our Summer here in the UK (if we've had one that is...) and, for me, I often think, well the years all down hill from here. I know many of you will also share this pessimistic thought; Winter goes on forever but Summer can be easily missed with a blink.

The Autumn and Winter blues last from September through til about April and we all unite in happiness when the sun appears and temperatures peak at about 10 degrees for the first time. But, aside from the rubbish weather, the majority of the day being in darkness and the extra weight we'll gain from either eating too much comfort food or wearing so many layers we hardly resemble our summer-selves anymore, these two dreaded seasons are actually the most exciting in most people's calendars. Sure, you might not be frolicking in a bikini on a beach in riduculous heat, but there is a lot to be happy about throughout some of the most 'depressing' months of the year.

Although it's been a lovely start to September, to try and boost the A/W morale, I thought we could all do with a few reasons to remember why A/W are great.

1. It's so so so pretty!
Even the biggest Sun Babies out there have to admit that, no matter where you are, it will always look so much better when splashed with turning leaves or with a sprinkle of snow.

All photos in this post taken from Pinterest

2. Fun and frolics!

It is no secret that this season harbours the most exciting and fun festivals of the year! You kick it all off with Halloween- dressing up badly and eating all the sweets humanly possible without judgement? Sold. A few days later you get Bonfire Night- pretty lights in the sky, sparklers and burgers, there's not really much not to like (unless you are vegetarian, but even then it's pretty great....). Our American friends get Thanksgiving and I get my Birthday and then the Daddy of all the holidays- Christmas! Now personally, I enjoy the build up slightly more than the actual day but still- food, crap telly, family, presents (don't pretend you don't love that part, I won't believe you), believing in Santa just for Christmas Eve cos you have the mass panic that maybe he actually does exist so you have to believe (...just me?) and those cheesy songs you know every word to and that you love to hate and hate to love. Once you've slept that off, it's time to see in the New Year, surrounded by friends and lots of alcohol (if you are over the legal drinking age obviously- please drink responsibly!).

3. Swapping your tea/coffee for hot chocolate with marshmallows.
This one is a lot less specific to me, I don't actually drink tea or coffee, but hot chocolate is always a winter warmer. Especially the honeycomb one they do in Costa. Oh. My. God. And at last, this is the time of year where you can buy as many as you like without feeling judged for not picking something healthier or colder or less fun, like an iced smoothie.

4. Great TV

Okay, so some of it isn't great, but it is perfect cold night in TV (X Factor, I'm looking at you!). It seems producers and writers and such like have caught on that people are less inclined to venture out into the depths of Winter, and so they all make the best TV around this time of year. Cue Downton, millions of returning comedies and loads of new dramas, not to mention all the Christmas specials. Get your Sky + ready! Get yourself a onesie, a sofa, a glass of wine, a blanket and the TV remote, light the fire and make yourself comfortable.

5. Finally, the clothes! 

Couldn't let a post pass without a mention of this. The clothes that come out every A/W are always 10x better than the Summer ones, well for me anyway. You can't beat a new coat, some jumpers and a cosy scarf. I love neutrals for A/W (how predictable, I know) and you really can't let A/W pass without a good pair of boots. Get shopping and get cosy!

I hope that banished those pre-Winter blues for some of you! I know it's not quite Winter yet and it's far too early to get excited for Christmas, but I'm trying to be more positive about the coming months because I really am not a fan of Winter! As many of you prepare to go back to school/uni/work after a hectic Summer, I hope this makes you feel excited about the time to kill until Summer returns!

Happy September!

Aztec Nails

Hello my lovlies! It's been a little while since I've posted anything about nails, so here is a cheeky little how to for you to feast your eyes over.

Aztec is arguably one of the key trends for summer every year, so why not channel it through nail art?

I had a little time the other day and thought I would try out my brand new Barry M Nail Art Pen.

Black Nail Art Pen, £4.99, Barry M

It took a little while to actually get any polish out of it, had to pump it a good few times on a tissue before it worked properly, which was quite annoying but in the end I got it working. It is worth knowing that, at the minute, this pen also comes in white and pink.

Anyway...

First of all, after my base coat, I painted my nails with Barry M's Ridley Road Textures Nail Paint, (the review can be found here). 

Once I let that dry, I experimented with painting aztec patterns on my nails and, after many variations, I came up with a pattern that was easy enough to do and looked quite nice, and here is the finished result!

Paint a quick top coat over the top to seal it and you're good to go! I will say, usung the pen over textured polish was harder than using it over normal nail paint, but I really like the colour! The pen was quite difficult to use, but that might be down to the textured polish. I will try it on normal polish and let you know!


What do you think? What patterns do you like to paint on your nails?

Just a cheeky little reminder- my blog now has it's own Facebook page- fancy! So click here to give it a like!

Also, I'm starting to get a little bit of bloggers block and don't wanna keep churning out the same content, so if there is anything you want me to blog about then please let me know!

Hope you're all okay!

Ice Cream Cupcakes

My love for cupcakes is no secret. It is also clear that I love decorating them, possibly more than I enjoy eating them. The perfect party food- they are guarenteed to go down a treat and you know that if you take cupcakes to a party, you won't have to awkwardly pack them all back in your cake tin and take them back home afterwards.

My last cupcake post was my Rose and Vanilla Cupcakes. Today's cupcake recipe is these delicious ice cream cupcakes.

To make them you will need:

Cakes

 2oz Baking Butter

2oz Caster Sugar

1 or 2 Eggs (2 is better)

Couple of splashes of Vanilla Essence 

3oz Self- Raising Flour

Cupcake Cases

Decoration

Icing Sugar

Baking Butter

Vanilla Essence 

Flakes

Choice of Treat Sauces

Cute Birdhouse Gift

Every week or so, a couple of companies come into my work and leave us a selection of books, gifts and cute homeware. There's normally one or two things that I quite like, but a couple of weeks ago I came across this adorable novelty birdhouse!

 

It's a little different and by no means your average gift, but I just thought it was too cute to pass up and for just £6.50 I just couldn't help myself! You can get away with just using it in your house for decorative purposes or you can stick some protective spray on it and hang it in a tree in the garden. The attention to detail is amazing- there's even a mini satellite dish on top!

I thought it was a really lovely, quite different gift for my Nan for Christmas. I know, I know, it's only August, bit keen! Thankfully, my Nan doesn't have a computer, let alone internet access, so the surprise will remain intact until Christmas morning.

It is so cute, I just had to share! You can get them on ebay and various other websites, just give 'novelty caravan birdhouse' a Google and see what you can find.

Have a lovely day!

Soap and Glory: Thick and Fast- Mascara Review

Normally, I am a one-brand girl when it comes to mascara. I have been using Benefit Bad Gal Lash since about 2008 and have never looked back. Until this Summer when mine ran out and I didn't have the cash or time to go and replace it. I was forced to rifle through my big stash of toiletries for uni and came across Thick and Fast by Soap and Glory. I'm a die hard Soap and Glory fan so I was quite happy to give it a go but had hardly any expectations, but I was so impressed.

I've heard mixed reviews about the S&G make-up range so I was surprised when this product worked so well.

L: Thick and Fast, R: no mascara

I'm quite lucky to have fairly long eyelashes anyway, but when I applied this mascara for the first time, I was asked if I was wearing falsies. Then when I did stick a pair on, no one noticed because my lashes looked the same. Considering it came in one of the S&G gift sets I got for Christmas and so was technically free, I was really happy with the result. It's also only £10, which is cheaper than my usual brand, and if you hurry, you can catch a '2 for £15' offer on selected S&G cosmetics at Boots!

What mascaras do you recommend? What do you think of this one?

Attention Freshers!

Many of you would have got that little brown envelope last Thursday (or in July if you, like I was last year, are an IB kid). For a lot of you, that little envelope held your golden ticket into university in September! For those of you brave enough to venture straight into the world of work, treat this post as the ultimate pay day wishlist, for those future freshers among you, this is a selection of the things you will most definately NEED at university.

If you are anything like I was last year, you will feel like an entire new wardrobe is needed for uni. So you will head for Primark and buy everything in the shop and then have nowhere to pack it, nowhere to store it when you are at uni and the millions of items you purchased before uni will probably be quite poor quality. I did this last year and regretted it massively when my entire wardrobe basically fell apart within the first few weeks because I had gone for quantity over quality.

After a year at university, I finally think I have got the must have uni wardrobe nailed. So, I have put together the items I think you definately need to invest in while you still have access to mum/dads bank account and while you are still willing to spend the money (trust me, when you get your student loan you will be studying your bank account religiously everyday).

This is not going to be a cheap list, but if you play it right, these items should last you long enough that you won't need to replace them for at least a year- they are definitely investment pieces.