Snow is falling...all around

Firstly I hope all of you had a lovely Christmas and got lots of lovely goodies! Santa was definitely good to me this year and I can't wait to share with you some of the pieces I got and some bits I purchased myself.

The first item I wanted to show you was this amazing set from Philosophy. I love Philosophy shower gels and the amazing, different scents they come in. Up until now my favourite has always been 'Coconut frosting' but now 'Snow Angel' has definitely taken over. This gorgeous, fresh scented fragrance is a must-have. It leaves the skin beautifully scented but is not too overpowering. The fragrance is described as being like freshly fallen snow. I would say it's fresh with a very slight fruity edge. I purchased the small size of the shower gel and fell in love with it so went back and purchased the set which includes a 240 ml of the shower gel and the same amount in the matching body lotion. I love having the lotion as it increases the fragrance and leaves your skin feeling and smelling amazing. The set is actually now available for half price in some Boots stores which makes it an absolute bargain (around £9) I would definitely recommend!

It's Christmas!!!!!!

I want to firstly apologise for the lack of posting these past few weeks. As it is nearly christmas, all my spare money has been going on presents. Therefore I haven't had any new items to share with you all. That will all change soon. If Santa brings me some of the lovely goodies I have asked for there will be plenty of posts to come! So please stay with me!

In the meantime, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I will speak to you soon xxx

All that glitters is gold

My nail polish choice of the week is this gorgeous, orange/gold colour from O.P.I called 'Rising star'. It is an amazing golden metallic which is perfect for the festive season. When the light catches it it gives such a golden, glow to the nails. Even though it does have glitter in, I only needed two coats to give me the perfect coverage. I would say I much prefer this gold to the Barry M gold foil polish I have used before. This has more depth and is brighter where as the Barry M one looked too matte and pale against my skin tone. This is the perfect shade to get you in the festive spirit!

These boots are made for walking...

The title of this post says it all. These are my new favourite boots! After lusting over some very similar ones in Topshop which were £70, I stumbled across this pair in Forever 21 for the bargainous price of £28! I have already worn these so many times. I have either paired them with my skinny jeans, leggings, tights, dresses, basically anything in my wardrobe. I was looking for boots that could withstand being worn in the rain (as my UGG's don't!) and these definitely fit the bill. Even with the heel they are still comfortable and I can get away with walking quite a distance in them! If you too have being eyeing up a similar pair in Topshop, I would definitely give these a try!

Dove to the rescue

I posted a little while ago that I purchased the Dove nourishing oil care express treatment conditioner. I have since used a whole tube and have just bought a second one. I absolutely love it! It's probably the best conditioner I have ever used on my hair. My hair is naturally thick and dry which isn't helped by having high lights and using straighteners pretty much everyday.


I shampoo my hair as usual and then apply a generous amount of the conditioner all over my hair particularly concentrating on the ends, which are most dry. I then leave it on for 2-3 minutes whilst I wash etc. Then I rinse thoroughly. I usually blowdry my hair which used to leave it feeling very dry and frizzy, but after using this conditioner it is left lovely and soft and definitely appears to have less frizz. Once I have used my straighteners, my hair is left looking smooth, shiny and ultimately more healthy. I would definitely recommend this conditioner to anyone but especially for those with thick or dry hair! It is a beauty must-have from now on for me.

Beauty review

I mentioned the 'Nivea light moisturising day cream' a few posts ago, but wanted to use it for a while before posting about it properly. Even though this is a day moisturiser, I do use it at night as well because I don't like thick creams which some night creams can be. I use my Liz Earle cleanse and polish to cleanse my face and remove my make up, and then I use the instant boost skin tonic in the spritz bottle. I then use this moisturiser straight after and I love that this one is light and absorbs straight into my skin. It leaves my face feeling moisturised and hydrated but not sticky or like it has a lot of product on it. You also only need the tiniest amount of product to cover your whole face which means the tube will last a long time! This is definitely something I love at the moment and will continue to use. I may possibly switch back to the Liz Earle skin repair light moisturiser but for the moment I'm really enjoying the Nivea one!

A sprinkle of glitter

'I lily love you' nail polish by O.P.I has officially become my new favourite colour! It's the perfect mix of sparkle, glitter and pink. Usually I am not a fan of fine glitter nail polishes as I love the effect they give, but not having to take it off.



This polish is a mix of foil like pieces, some large, some small which creates the prettiest, sparkly colour. I used three coats to get this depth of colour just because I wanted the pink to be quite prominent.



This colour is also perfect to put over another lighter shade to add a hint of sparkle. I used my seche vitte topcoat to give a glossy finish and to make sure the little pieces of foil were not sharp on my nails. Even in the bottle the colour looks amazing and will be taking centre stage on my dressing table!

The beauty of basics

Another bargain buy purchased from Forever 21. On what was supposed to be a window shopping trip to London, I came across this little 3/4 sleeve top, from what has become my favourite shop, for just £6.50! I love tops such as this because they are so easy to put on but still look as though you have made an effort and put thought into your outfit. I particularly love the rolled up sleeves which makes the top appear less like a basic tee. I put a long, white vest top underneath just for a little extra warmth but the top could definitely be worn alone. I think it's great to have basics such as this in your wardrobe that you can quickly grab in the morning. At £6.50 you can't go wrong and I shall be going back for more in different colours!

Wearing my heart on my t-shirt

Whilst searching in Primark for the reindeer printed nightwear shorts (who doesn't love a reindeer print?!), I came across this grey t-shirt with an animal print heart on the front...for £3! Technically I think it is classed as sleep wear but no-one would know the difference. It's a lovely, soft, cotton material and fits really well. I love t-shirts like these as they are easy to put on but not too plain. I paired it with this little animal print cardigan from Zara which was another bargain at £20. It has big, wide sleeves which gives it a draped effect, a perfect cover up for these chilly days!

Nails Inc nude

As you will come to see, I am a massive nail polish fan. My nails are always painted and I have so many different colours and brands I have lost count! I usually always prefer dark or really bright colours, basically anything that really stands out. I always keep my nails really short and feel darker colours suit me best especially as I have very fair skin. So, I was really excited to see Glamour magazine are giving away a Nails Inc polish with their December issue! After checking out all the colours I realised I already had 3 out of the 4 shades. The only shade I did not own was the lightest colour called 'Basil street'. For a while I have wanted to try a slightly neutral colour, especially coming into these Autumn/Winter months.

My verdict? At first I wasn't impressed. I had to use 3 coats to get a slightly deeper/darker finish. The polish applied well, for a cream, and did not leave my nails streaky at all. On first look I wasn't convinced. I have very pale skin and it seemed to just blend into my skin colour and was not easily noticeable. However, after a few days wear, I have grown to love this colour! As it is glossy (I used my Seche Vite topcoat) the colour is more noticeable and I am enjoying having a softer look on my nails. It won't be a colour I will be wearing all the time but definitely something I will dip in and out of when I want a more subtle look.

I would definitely recommend picking up a copy of Glamour, for just £2 and trying one of these polishes. The deep, dark red shade is a must own for the upcoming party season! And, if like me, you want a more subtle shade, give 'Basil street' a try, you may be as surprised with the results as I was!

Grey, grey, beige

As you will notice in many of my 'fashion/outfit' posts, I am usually always wearing my Hollister 'Laguna skinny' jeans. The main reason is they are the first pair of jeans I have ever had that properly fit me and they are just so comfortable. I bought a couple of pairs so I rotate them around. The wash of denim usually goes with everything and the length means I can wear them with flats, turn the bottoms up or as their skinny fit, I can tuck them into boots.






However, after saying all of this, I do like to change my outfits up a little every now and then and for this outfit I am wearing my dark grey/light black 'Juicy Couture' jeans. I love the colour of these and think they are really versatile but they are slightly too big for me so I usually have to wear a belt with them. I teamed them with a chunky knit jumper from River Island which is perfect for these colder months. It's nice and long and even though the sleeves are rolled up it's still long enough for me. I really like the zip detailing at the back as it gives the jumper a little more character. I wore my grey UGG's as I thought these went well with the colour of my jeans but you could easily pair black boots with them or a colour which matches the jumper.

Kurt Geiger galore

After waiting for what felt like forever for my Elle magazine to arrive, I was not disappointed to find a £25 Kurt Geiger gift voucher attached! I'm a big KG fan and am especially loving their new range of accessories! As one of my besties manages a Geiger store, I'd been fortunate enough to receive a lovely phone case from the range and was so impressed by the quality! The accessories range from jewellery to laptop cases to handbags.


With my voucher in hand, off I went to my local KG store. After deciding it was a piece of jewellery I was going to go for, I eventually picked this 'Cassie' bracelet which came in three different colour options. I chose the silver option with the beige cord as I felt it was more versatile than the other colours (purple and gold) and would go with my other silver jewellery.



I absolutely love the bracelet and as it's free (I got the subscription to Elle as Christmas present) it's even better! I think I will be mainly wearing it alone but you could just as easily stack with other bracelets for a more layered effect. I would definitely recommend purchasing a copy of Elle for £3.80 in order to get a £20 gift card (I got £25 as I am a subscriber to Elle) as most of the jewellery is around that price point.

Love is everything

I'll start by saying what a big fan I am of slogan tee's. They're so easy to pop on under a blazer or a leather jacket. One of my favourites is this one from Wildfox, which is a brand I absolutely love! Their t-shirts are lovely and soft, fit well and always have really fun slogans or images! This t-shirt is one of my fave's with the slogan 'Love is everything', which in my mind, is very true. This particular style tee is slightly longer than other ones I have, so for this outfit I have tucked it into my jeans to create a slightly different look.

I have paired the t-shirt with a nude/light pink, fitted blazer from Forever 21. This is a recent purchase and I have worn it so much already. At just £22 it was a complete bargain. I particularly love the ruched sleeves and the slim fit. I then have my trusty Hollister jeans on which I have put a belt on with. The belt was another bargain, £3, again from Forever 21. I love this kind of easy, relaxed outfit that still has a bit of an edge. Slogan tee's are definitely a staple in my wardrobe!

Sunday's Choice

Sunday's choice is going to be a regular feature sharing with you guys my nail polish of choice for the week. As I have accumalated so many colours, the choice is often tough! This week, however, I couldn't wait to try out my No7 varnish which I purchased earlier in the week.

I'll start with a couple of negatives so we can get them out of the way. Firstly, the size of the brush was a little hard to control as it it quite wide and long. As I have quite small nails it wasn't very easy to just cover the nail and not the surrounding skin. Also, as the top of the bottle is quite narrow, it is hard to get the brush back in the bottle with just one hand.



So after the couple of negatives, there a lot of positives! For a polish which cost me just £2, I was very pleased with the results! The bottle says 'pigment rich colour' and this is definitely true. The colour in the bottle is exactly the result you get on your nails. The colour is a deep, intense blue with a slight shot of silver running through it to give a metallic like finish. I finished the look with my seche vite top coat to leave my nails looking extremely glossy and shiny.



I perhaps wouldn't purchase another bottle for the full price of £7 as I would rather spend a couple more pounds on a Leighton Denny or Essie but if I come across another No7 voucher (£5 off) I think £2 is well worth the result you get!

A blouse a day

I'm going through a blouse craze at the moment. I think it's the fact they are so easy to quickly put on with jeans, throw a blazer over the top and you have a really cute outfit. I love plain blouses and the current trend for attaching a ribbon bow around the neck ( if it has a collar) to quickly update your look.

The blouse from this post is from Topshop from their sale at the beginning of the year. I bought it because I liked the unusual print as well as it being slightly fitted. A lot of other blouses I have are very loose, which I like, but I wanted one which gave me a little more shape. This one has a hidden zip up the inside which just slightly pulls it in at the waist and at the bottom, creating a better silhouette. I put a light grey vest top underneath as it is slightly sheer but it can equally be worn on its own.

I paired this with my usual Hollister jeans and some soft, tribal print ballet flats also from Topshop.

Holidays are coming!

I am the biggest kid when it comes to Christmas and is definitely my most favourite time of year! As I'm not a huge fan of Halloween or Bonfire night, I'm usually in the christmas spirit by mid-October!

I love when the shops start to bring out their christmas gift ideas, especially their beauty ones! As you will come to realise, I am an avid Philosophy fan! Whilst I am yet to use their skincare range, I have been using their shower gels and lip-glosses for about 2 years. Although the shower gels can be seen as quite pricey at £16, they have a triple use! They are bubble bath, shampoo and shower gel. I love the variety of smells but my all time favourite is 'Gingerbread girl'. The shimmery, golden colour is what first drew me to it aswell as the cute, girly packaging. This year for christmas I have asked for the 'Gingerbread girl' shower gel and matching body lotion so I can layer!



Back to the main focus of this post, my new addition to my Philosophy collection...'Tinsel town shower gel and lip-gloss' set. The cute, christmassy packaging is perfect to give as a present and at just £14 it is a real beauty bargain! The 120 ml of the shower gel is a quarter of the full sizes but in my opinion will definitely last you a good couple of months if not longer! It is amazing used on the hair and gives it a gorgeous scent! 'Tinsel town' is an amazing swirly, pink, glittery colour. The scent is described as 'crisp berry' which is absolutely true! Your skin is left lovely and fragranced for hours after you've showered in it.



The high-shine lip-gloss is not only a gorgeous colour but also smells delicious! I'm not a big fan of lip glosses with strong smells but this one is subtle and not too overpowering. After applying it leaves lips with a fresh tingling feeling which does wear off after a few minutes to leave gorgeously glossy lips! The gloss has a slight sparkle too it but not too glittery! It wasn't sticky at all and a little definitely goes a long way.

I'd say this is the perfect little gift for someone at christmas of just as a treat for yourself, this is definitely something I will still love tomorrow!

Bargain beauty spree

Being on tight budget money wise, as much as I'd love to spend endless amounts on beauty products, I have to be sensible and try and get by just buying the 'essentials'. However, sometimes there's just a few bargains I can't pass up!

My first bargain of the day was the 'No7 stay perfect' nail varnish. I can sometimes be a little bit of a nail varnish snob and stick to my favourite brands such as Essie, O.P.I, Leighton Denny and Nails Inc. However, these brands also come with a slightly expensive price tag. I have tried a couple of No7 polishes before and have been impressed with the coverage and the wide brush. So after picking up a £5 off No7 voucher i thought I'd use it on a polish. They usually cost £7, so with the voucher it brings it down to £2, which is a bargain! I plumped for this dark blue, metallic shade called 'sing the blues'. It looks the perfect shade for the upcoming wintery months. I will publish a post soon on it soon as I just can't bear to take off my Essie 'mink muffs' colour at the moment!

My second bargain came in the form of the 'Dove hair therapy nourishing oil care, express treatment conditioner'. After seeing a review on another blog, I was intrigued to try it. Having always had dry hair due to having lots of highlights and just the general make-up of my hair, I'm always on the look out for products that will add moisture and shine. This product claims to be a conditioner and treatment all in one. It has a dual action formula which is supposed to condition the hair and also reduce frizz which definitely sounds like what my hair needs! I'm so excited to try this and will let you know the results ASAP. In Boots it is currently half price and is just £1.68!

Lastly, I was on a mission to find a cheap moisturiser that didn't leave my face greasy and oily. Having been an avid Liz Earle fan for the past 5 or 6 years I wish I could buy all my skincare products from her range but unfortunately I just cannot stretch to the prices at the moment. I still faithfully buy my cleanse & polish and instant boost skin tonic as these are just 2 products I cannot live without. I have previously used the 'Liz Earle Skin repair light' moisturiser but have just run out of! So, I have taken a chance on 'Nivea Visage daily essentials light moisturising day cream for normal/combination skin.' The words 'light moisturising' attracted me to it as I'm not a fan of heavy, greasy creams. Also, at just £4.35 it's a great price! The cream also contains an SPF 15 which is definitely something I look for. I will bring you another post on this in a week or so, so that I can give it a good trial run!

Let's hope I heart these products as much tomorrow as I do today!

I'll always be Forever 21

Since holidaying in America, Forever 21 has become one of my favourite brands. Now they have opened two stores in London, I am in my element, my bank balance however is not.

From great basics to off-the-moment trend pieces, they seem to have all my fashion needs covered.

On a recent trip I picked up this amazing grey blazer. The reindeer caught my eye first and the pattern seemed perfect for the forthcoming autumn/winter months. At just £22.75, it was a bargain I couldn't miss out on.

I shall be teaming mine with my trusty Hollister jeans, a basic white-tee and either my Ugg boots or plain ballet pumps. As it gets colder I might even add a chunky scarf or snood!