The Zara Heels

I recently did a naughty and put in a little Zara UK online order…woops! I was originally stalking the website for the gorgeous green and black tie dye shirt, which I did purchase fyi! But upon browsing their lust-worthy shoe collection I came across these beauties… aren't they pretty?!  I’m not really a heel wearer but when I saw these, something in me just…changed! Whether it was the gorgeous detail or the shape of them I’m not sure, but I love them! Judging by my ASOS Heels post, I think I'm subconsciously lusting after heels lately! 

I’m not into fancy smancy, bright coloured, faffy heels; my tastes are quite simple, but still chic and these fit that bill perfectly. They’re a gorgeous suede and the intricate edging and detail give them that little something extra!

They are quite high (5 inches to be exact) but as they have a platform as well they aren’t too difficult to totter about in! I've worn them out since taking this photo and can confirm that my feet lasted about 4 hours before the balls of my feet started screaming at me to take the heels off, I think that’s pretty good going for a non-heel wearer! …by the end of the 4 hours though I do admit that a girlfriend of mine had to give me a piggy-back because I just couldn’t walk anymore in them! HA! But it won’t stop me from wearing them!

High Heel Platform Sandal £39.99 - Zara UK

If you know what happiness is to you... #2

I thought I would do another one of these posts as I really enjoyed writing the first one I did – you can see that here if you like. It made me more aware of the good things that were going on in my life, it made me feel grateful and really helped put me in a better mood! I’m not sure what’s with me lately, I’ve been in such funk – I’ve even decided to deactivate my FB account! It’s actually been quite nice not having to worry about what everyone else is doing!

Here are some of the things that have made me happy lately:

01. Pancakes!! // We recently had pancake day, such a good day! You can see what I got up to here.

02. Afternoon tea with the girls // We went to the cute little kitsch tea room in Hatherden, it was really nice to just sit and natter away for a few hours. Obvs the cake and tea helped! You can read about my day here.

03. Going to dinner with friends // I’m off out for a tapas night on Friday and then a wagamamas on Saturday. I love eating out with friends!

04. Nights out with the Girls // This past Saturday I actually swapped my comfies and slippers for skinny jeans and heels! Yep, I actually went out! We had cocktails in Salisbury and then went back to my hometown for some more drinks…let’s just say I was nursing a hangover Sunday morning, but it was a great night!!

05. Spending time with the boyfriend // Yep, I know this is pure cheddar, but it’s true! The boyfriend has swapped his rota around at work which means that we get to see each other a lot more which has been nice. He’s the one person that puts everything in to perspective for me and just instantly calms my worrying mind!

06. Bloglovin’ & GFC // My little space on the internet has recently hit just over 120 followers on Bloglovin’ and just over 170 followers on GFC. I know this isn’t much to some but for me, this is such an amazing achievement and makes me so happy that some of you out there actually enjoy reading what I have to say! As a massive thank you I’m planning a little giveaway soon so keep your eyes peeled! Also, if you haven't already but fancy hitting that follow button, just head over to my side bar, just over there >>>

07. American candy // Me and the boyfriend went to Basingstoke recently and found this pretty darn amazing American sweet shop. There’s just something about eating American candy that makes me happy! Maybe it’s because it makes me feel like I could be in America or that I’m eating something that I can’t get hold of every day, I don’t know – but what I do know is that they have waaay better candy choices than we do!

Hope all you beauties are having a great week & just remember...

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light"

- Albus Dumbledore

*Image source: Pinterest 

Cosy Afternoon Tea!

This past weekend me and the girls arranged to go for afternoon tea, nowhere fancy (*said in an Iggy Azalea voice, you know the song!) but we just wanted to go somewhere a bit nicer than say Costa! We ended up booking a table at the Tea Cosy Tea Rooms, this little tea place in Hurstbourne Tarrant.

Pancakes!

Happy belated Pancake Day! Oh, and happy shrove Wednesday! Pancake Day is such a great day, who doesn’t like pancakes?!

It was a beautiful day and I was meeting a friend for lunch - as it was Pancake Day, pancakes were the obvious (and only) choice for lunch! We went to The Cosy Club, one of my fave spots for lunch or cocktails in the evenings. I had the pancakes with crispy bacon and maple syrup and ooohh was it a good choice! My only wish, that they add a little Nutella in to the mix some how, but I don't know how well that would go with the bacon!

I really think I need more pancakes in my life, they’re pretty easy to make, can be as healthy as you want them to be…and are so Pinterest worthy! I think I’m going to give these ViviannaDoesMakeup vanilla protein pancakes a go next, they sound pretty darn good.

As its shrove Wednesday, I couldn’t not write about lent and what I’ve decided to give up. I realised the other day that my sugar intake is getting completely out of control – case in point, valentines weekend! So for lent I’ve decided to try and consciously cut down on the amount of sugary snacks I eat and to try and get more veggies in, I’m also going to give up pasta – because that shit destroys me, I am seriously woman down after I eat it! So giving that up for 40 days will only help me!

Hope you lovely lot had a great Pancake Day - I’d love to know what you guys are giving up for lent… mainly because I’m so nosey! xo

ASOS Heels // Yes or No?

I was browsing through the ASOS sale and came across these little beauties, they're the Payback Shoe Boots. Now I know they say boots, but come on, they're heels! and they were a total bargain, they were £21 down from £42.  I was after a new pair of heels as i'm a bit sick of wearing my heeled booties when I go out, I wanted a more sophisticated pair of heels and I just fell in love with these... I think I spotted the lovely Susie from Hello October wearing these in an Instagram post and in one of her youtube videos!

Anyway, they ended up in my basket and arrived on my doorstep a few days later - ASOS delivery is pretty great btw! - I just love the smell of a new pair of shoes, don't you?! I put them on, walked around for a bit, and I kid you not, after about 5 minutes of wearing them the balls of my feet were on FIRE! Now i'm not an avid heel wearer so I guess my feet aren't really used to being squeezed in to 5inch heels, but I was in total agony! There is no way my feet would survive in these on a night out!

I'm completely torn. I absolutely love them, but I just don't think i'll wear them as I know as soon as I put them on my feet will start screaming at me i'll want to rip them off because they'll be killing my poor feet! To keep them or send them back, thats the question! I need help here ladies! Is the pain really worth it? xo

Valentines Weekend

Me and the boyf had our day all planned out but why is it when you’ve planned something, sometimes that plan just doesn’t happen?! We decided that we would go to Lulworth for the day, we both love it there and there was a walk along the cliffs that I had wanted to do. In the evening we were going to go for dinner at one of our favourite Indian restaurants – well, none of that actually happened!...

2015 Beauty Wishlist

01.  Chanel Mascara  //  02.  Tarte Lights Camera Splashes Mascara  //  03.  Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner  //  04.  Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Light Foundation  //  05.  Nars Sheer Glow Foundation  //  06.  Tarte BB Cream/Tinted Moisturiser  //  07.  Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Concealer  //  08.  Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Glow Filmstar Palette  //  09.  Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask  //  10.  Sarah Chapman skincare 

I've decided that rather than just umming and ahhing over things that I really want to try, this year I'm just gunna bite the bullet and go for it!  These are the things that are on my beauty it-list this year!

I've heard some great things about the Kat Von D makeup line! I'm obsessed with finding great concealers and if this one can cover tattoos then i'm pretty sure it can cover the horrendous dark circles under my eyes!  Also 2 words... Charlotte Tilbury! The packaging of her products are just beautiful and it seems that everyone is pretty much in love with her Bronze & Glow film star palette. I think I'm gunna have to make the splurge!

I want to have a change up in my skincare routine this year and most of the blogs I read highly recommend the Sarah Chapman skincare line, I think its about time I try some of it out for  myself! As the weather has been so up and down lately and most of the time its freezing, my skin has been getting quite dry and dull and just generally blah! I hear this Peter Thomas Roth pumpkin enzyme mask has the power to put some oomph back into my skin! I think it might be time that I finally make a Sephora online purchase!

Hope all you lovelies are having a great valentines weekend xo

Scent of the Day #2

Victoria’s Secret never disappoints when it comes to body mists and this is the latest one I’ve been loving - Coconut Passion (vanilla & coconut).

For me, it’s the perfect scent, something grownup, a bit sweet and smells like a holiday! Ahhhh! You can really smell the vanilla and coconut in it - and can I just touch on the packaging, SO pretty right! I have a few different bottles of the Victoria’s Secret body mists (here) and love to keep them out on show. Very pinterest!

I’m pretty sure you can pick these up online from places like eBay or Amazon but I pick mine up from the flagship store in London, Bond Street (or if you’re lucky enough to live in the US, I think VS stores are pretty much everywhere!). You can’t go to London and not go to Victoria’s Secret! 

Ps. If you’re in London with your guy, there’s a chill out area for the men folk on the top floor so they have somewhere to sit while you shop! ;)

Review // Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara

At the weekend I picked up Elle Magazine for no other reason that wanting to try Benefit’s new Roller Lash Mascara that you got free with it. I love picking up the benefit freebies, they’re always so handy!

I’d heard some ravings about Benefit’s new Roller Lash Mascara and wanted to try it out and get involved in the all the hype myself. Unfortunately, I’m not completely sold on it.

Don’t get me wrong, Benefit have some cracking products in their makeup repertoire, I love their blushers and their primer is one of my favourites! But I’m just really not a fan of their mascaras – don’t get me started on the “They’re Real” mascara, that stuff sticks to my lashes like glue, which is a great thing for lasting power and it also gives my lashes some much needed va va voom but trying to get it off is impossible! I end up pulling some of my own lashes out! No thank you!

Anyway, back on track… I test drove the Roller Lash mascara for a day, I wasn’t doing anything major, it was a pretty chilled day as we were going over to the boyf's mums for a roasty. I put the mascara on late morning and wore it for a good 10 hours or so. Yes, my lashes were lengthened and it did hold a curl throughout the day but this mascara gave my lashes little to no volume what so ever! My lashes looked pretty thin and there was just no oomph there - which for me is a necessity as my lashes are pretty crap! I also noticed that by the end of the day I had a major case of the panda eyes going on which really grinds my gears especially as I didn’t actually have any of the mascara on my bottom lashes – I can only imagine I would have panda eyes x5 if I did!

Overall I’m a bit disappointed with this one. I had high hopes for it and it just didn’t deliver for me. Now for the people that have beautiful thick lashes that already have volume but just don’t have that curl factor – this would be for you! But for girls like me that have thin lashes that curl well anyway but are lacking in the volume department, it’s a no from me – I will say that it does give very natural looking lashes though! The length is there but the volume just isn’t. Sorry benefit!

The Standout Concealer

I’ve mentioned this concealer in numerous favourites posts (too many to link!) so thought it was about time I dedicated a whole post to it!

I’m sure everyone and their sister has heard of the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer by now, so I won’t ramble on too long about how much I love it, but love it I do! You can also find a million swatches of the various shades online.

Now I’m a gal with pretty hefty dark circles, no matter how much sleep I get or litres of water I drink, they remain! Thanks mum and dad! So it’s safe to say that when I love a concealer, you know it’s got to be a goodun!

I’ve tried countless concealers in the search for the perfect one and let me tell ya, this is by far the best concealer I’ve found to date! I swipe a v shape of this under my eyes and blend, its damn good at covering up the dark under eye baggage! I do use Bobbi Brown’s corrector in Light Bisque before I apply this for that extra oomph of coverage (as I’ve said, my dark circles are pretty bad!) but after applying the Bobbie Brown corrector and then the Nars concealer they all but disappear. I also use this to cover any areas that need a little extra help such as around my nose, chin and on any blemishes that may have sprouted. This concealer can cover a multitude of sins!

This concealer can sometimes be a bit hard to get hold of, but it’s worth the perseverance to get! I use the shade vanilla which is a great match for me. I’m even contemplating getting the lighter shade to use as a bit of a highlighter to really get some light under my eyes, umm! - If you’re after a more budget friendly version of this concealer, I would give the Collection Lasting Perfecting Concealer a go – another one that that’s pretty well known!

Ps. Next on my concealer "to try" hit-list is the Kat Von D tattoo concealer, but I think I will have to make a Sephora Online purchase to get my hands on that!

Bournemouth Beach

I've been feeling pretty crappy about myself this week so decided that I needed to forget about things for a while. So, this weekend the boyfriend and me decided to go to the beach... well I pretty much told him that thats we were going!

Bournemouth is about an hour away from where we live so it wasn't too much of a trek and luckily it was a beautiful day... it was pretty cold and windy, but no rain!

If you know what happiness is to you...

This isn’t a tag as such, but the lovely Helen from Love Cats INC. did a post like this the other day and it really struck a chord with me. I’ve been feeling pretty crappy about myself this week and I thought this would be great chance to remind myself about the things that have made me happy lately and the things that I’m looking forward to…

Clarins // Hand and Nail Treatment Cream

When the cold weather hits, the moisture in my skin literally disappears! My hands have been super dry lately and my nails seem to be so brittle, I needed help! I was routing around in my stash and found this, the Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream.

I find most hand creams to be quite greasy, this isn't at all! It sinks right in and theres no greasy residue left on your hands, which makes it perfect for office workers like me that handle paperwork and don't want to leave greasy spots everywhere.  It also has a fresh citrus smell which I quite like.  I've been using this for about a week now and I actually notice a difference in my hands, they're less dry and my nails are noticeable less brittle and also seem to be growing faster!

As it is Clarins, this hand cream is a little bit on the pricey side compared to other hand creams you'll find in Boots or Superdrug, but I would definitely say this is worth the pennies and worth a try, especially if you suffer from supper dry hands and brittle nails like me.

Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment cream - £18.45 from Escentual.com

My Newest Nude Love

I don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of writing (or talking) about Tom Ford Lipsticks! Sorry guys! It looks like I’m going to be having a “Tom Ford moment" for a while!

I’m still very much in the middle of my nude lipstick obsession and this is my newest nude love, the beautiful Tom Ford Lipstick in Nude Vanille. Its looks a bit worn here – I accidentally dropped it and lost a bit off the top, I almost cried!!

Clarins // Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil

It’s safe to say that I’m a pretty big fan of Clarins, so when a new product lands, I want need it! Now this little baby is apparently sold out online but I managed to find one in my local little boots. They had only 2 left in stock, naturally I had the strongest urge to buy them both, but I decided not to be greedy – although on second thought I now wish I had because it would have been a perfect opportunity to do a little giveaway! Digressing…

Back to the product! Clarins describes this product as a unique fusion formula rich in plant-based active ingredients and directly inspired by Clarins' expert face and body oils.

It includes: Hazelnut oil which nourishes, plumps and softens the lips. Organic jojoba oil which nourishes, adds a silky sheen to the skin without feeling greasy and soothes the lips whilst enhancing their natural beauty. Mirabelle oil (for the honey shade) which helps prevent dehydration and leaves the skin supple and satiny-smooth.

I’ve been using this for about a 3 weeks now and ooh, I love! I’m not a great honey fan (can’t really stand the taste or the smell) but this really isn’t that honey-y! and I actually quite like the smell (and taste!). The product has a huge doe-foot applicator and I just love the size! It’s also super soft so it makes applying the product a dream! It doesn’t really feel like an oil to me, more like a non-sticky lipgloss and that’s pretty much what it looks like on the lips too – except it’s better for them!

I like to apply this first thing in the morning when I’m prepping my face for the day ahead, I also apply this throughout the day when I need a top up and last thing before I go to bed! I can’t get enough of it. My lips have been so incredibly dry and chapped lately what with all the freezing cold weather and everyone cranking the heating up, so this has been my little life saver!

If you get the chance to pick one up, do it!... I will keep my eyes peeled the next time I'm walking past a Clarins counter, if I can find one, I might just have to grab it for a giveaway! xo

Boots & ASOS Haul

I've not done a haul on here for a while. SO here are some things that I've "treated myself to" lately...

I'm gunna start of with Boots. I only went in to buy some lunch… £61 later I come out!  I decided that it was about time I picked up another Soap & Glory eyeliner pen. Eyeliner pens are so quick and easy to use and as I can’t get my hands on the Kat Von D Tattoo eye liner pen, this is the next best thing I’ve found! If you’re a bit of a noob when it comes to eyeliner, I recommend starting with this! It stays put on the lids, is super black and doesn't dry out as soon as you open the damn thing like others I found that do!

I then found myself in the makeup brushes isle, I was wondering if my local Boots had the Real Techniques bold metals collection…and they did! I decided to pick up the Arched Powder Brush (No. 100) and the Tapered Brush. The colours of the brushes and their overall look are just so luxe! These are a bit more pricey than the usual Real Techniques brushes however – the Arched Powder Brush is £25 & the Tapered Brush is £24. I’ve heard some great things about them so can’t wait to give them a try!

Now of course, these 3 things didn’t come to £61 on their own, I also bought lunch and some other boring bits while I was in there.

On to ASOS... I decided that I needed a smarter coat for work and after much deliberation (and a lot of time spend trawling through the ASOS website) I decided on this gorgeous black blazer style/pea coat. I'm pretty much in love with it and so glad I splurged on it (it was £85 and you can find it here).

While I was browzing I decided that I could also do with a new work bag big enough to fit a ton of crap in - basically my assignment work, my laptop and my lunch. I have a bit of a thing for mint green at the moment and found this mint green leather beaut. It went straight into the basket! (You can find it on the ASOS website here). I'm so glad I splurged on these two... I also qualified for free next day delivery and was super surprised that they delivered my purchases on a Sunday, yep a Sunday! I was pretty damn impressed with ASOS's delivery service! - it also helped that I got student discount with my NUS card, 10% discount ftw!

January Favourites // 2015

So the first month of 2015 bites the dust! You know how "they" say the older you get, the more time flies by...they're right! It doesn't feel like its been a whole 31 days already.

I think its safe to say that we've all suffered from a bit of the January blues!  Here are some things that have help me beat mine...

01.  CoLab Dry Shampoo //  I'm always on the hunt for the best dry shampoo and have heard everyone banging on about the CoLab range so thought I would give it a go for myself. I picked up the travel size to test it out first and I must say, I'm pretty impressed! In fact, I'm actually going to go back and pick up a full size! I love the smell of the "New York" one and find that it doest leave that crusty/chalky feeling in my hair that most tend to give. I will say that this isn't completely clear like it says.  I have noticed a few white patches when I spray it, but I can get past that!

02.  Bumble & Bumble Blow Dry Straight //  Another hair product! I love this and really need to purchase the full size - maybe when Essential have a discount or sae on again! This is another travel size, its actually lasted me ages.  I have pretty naturally wavy hair, even when I straighten it, it never stays straight for very long, except when I use this! It really does work!

03.  Tom Ford Lipstick in Nude Vanille //  I'm still clinging on to my nude lipstick obsession and this is my current favourite.  Its creamy and buttery and just the right amount of nude-pinky-ness!

04.  Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream //  In the colder months my hands get insanely dry and my nails get so brittle, I hate it!  I found this whilst rummaging through my stash trying to find a hand cream and have been using this pretty much non stop all month! By far one of the best hand creams i've used - stay tuned for a post all about this gem!

05.  Pandora Jewellery //  These were some pieces that I got for Christmas and I haven't been able to take them off since I got them.  I'm not usually a great jewellery wearer, I always seem to forget to put any one but I just love how dainty these pieces are and they seem to go with everything I wear!

Hope you all had a great first month of 2015! Theres going to be some changes round here soon, I can't wait! I really want this year to be a year of trying new things and saying yes a lot more! But for now...I have to drag myself away from the internets and start my beast of an assignment, I have 3 weeks left to get it done, urgh! xo