H&M Beauty | Review

My MAC Lipstick Collection

Things I Learnt at University

As I pack up my life ready to head back to university for one last year, I've started to look back at what I've learnt over the past two and what I would pass on to future freshers. I think university is a different experience for everyone, for some it might be about making new friends, for others it might be about having new experiences, finding yourself or simply learning more about something you're passionate about. Perhaps it's all of the above or it might be something completely different. I went to university with the idea in my head that I would be out every night, drinking my own weight in Malibu and dancing my way through every club in Manchester. What actually happened was quite the opposite. I spent a lot more time in the flat in my pyjamas watching endless boxsets than I did on nights out and I don't regret it in the slightest. So without further ado, here's a few of the things I learnt at university.

My Favourite Five Blushers

Blusher follows close behind lipstick as one of my all time makeup weaknesses, I could spend hours swatching every shade of pink and peach under the sun until I find the right one for me but I always seem to come back to the same five over and over again. I personally tend to stick to pink blushers, with the occasional peachy tone thrown in for good measure. I just think a pink blusher is an absolute staple and with the right shade can provide that light flush to the cheeks that your makeup needs. I've chosen fives shades from my collection that I think everyone should try at some point in their life.

Spontaneous Boots Haul

You know those shopping trips where you only pop in for one thing and end up coming out with 5 new lipsticks and not the thing you originally went in for? Yeh, that happened. Yesterday I briefly popped into Boots before work, originally intending to get some toothpaste and shampoo. Instead, I cam out with 5 new lipsticks, some skincare bits and no toothpaste or shampoo. This is actually one of those times that I am grateful the Boots nearest to me is pretty small, as had it been any bigger I probably would have ended up spending a lot more.

Stila Liquid Lipsticks | Review

I think it's safe to say that I'm on a bit of a liquid lipstick hype at the moment and after buying these and the Anastasia Liquid Lipsticks I'm officially on a spending ban! (At least until the student loan next comes in).

Anastasia Liquid Lips | First Impressions

I've never been so excited to hear a van pull up outside in my entire life. In all honesty I didn't think these would be arriving for at least a week but they arrived within 4 days direct from the Anastasia website, so that automatically gets a thumbs up from me. I did have to pay extra for freight and customs which is slightly annoying but I didn't mind this too much considering the exchange rate meant the lipsticks themselves worked out relatively cheap.

September Homeware Wishlist

Like everyone and their mother these days, I have truly jumped on the copper and marble bandwagon. This is a trend that just seems to be everywhere and I can completely see why, there's something really beautiful about these two and they make for chic additions to any interior space. I've also got a massive love for anything pastel blue or pink, monochrome and geometric. Despite being a few years off moving out and having my own place, I could spend hours swooning over furniture and homeware and this seems to have got even worse recently. I've probably spent way too much time recently drooling over anything from candles to storage baskets. So in the meantime I've decided to share with you my wishlist, including products from Etsy, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Sass & Belle and Oliver Bonas. Some are definitely on the pricey side and will most likely remain on the wishlist but hey, a girl can dream right?

Autumn/Winter Nails 2015

Following on from my previous post looking at my choices for lip colour this season, I thought I'd take a look at the colours I'll be wearing on my nails. As with the lips I tend to navigate more towards anything berry toned, red, purple, or generally dark at this time of the year before I slowly transition into full on glitter at Christmas time. This line up is going to be very Essie heavy, in fact it's entirely made up of Essie polishes. I've been addicted to Essie polishes since my sister bought me my first many Christmases ago. I think they have a fantastic range of shades with something to suit everyone and they're constantly bringing out something new. I also think the formula (for the most part) is fantastic, with most polishes only needing one or two coats max. I say most here as there are some colours that seem to use a completely different formula and never build up a solid colour no matter how many coats I painstakingly build up, I find this generally with the lighter shades, having never had a problem with any of the darker colours. So without further ado here is my Autumn/Winter nail polish lineup...

Autumn/Winter Lips 2015

September is finally upon us, the nights are starting to draw in and the weather is getting cooler (although let's be honest, we didn't have much of a Summer here in the UK to begin with). This has to me my favourite time of year! There's just something about the dark evenings, cuddling up with a hot chocolate in front of an open fire that makes feel really happy. And as I sit and type this in my Christmas tartan pyjamas, I can't help but look forward to everything that the following months have to offer. Lots of layers, Halloween, Bonfire Night, open fires, Autumnal colours and eventually Christmas. So with that being said I thought I'd take a look and share with you what I'll be wearing on my lips for the rest of the year. From September onwards I tend to pack away the bright pinks and oranges and stick more to blue toned reds and berry shades, with the occasional nude thrown in for good measure. Here's a run down of a few of my personal favourites...

September Baking

I don't know whether it's the latest series of Great British Bake Off or a general craving for sweet food recently but something has me in the mood to bake. So much so that on a recent trip to Asda for cans of Coca-Cola, I ended up leaving with fifty pounds worth of baking equipment. (Woops!) The George Home section at Asda currently has a beautiful selection of baking goods in an array of pretty pastel shades, from pretty pink mixing bowls to adorable ceramic measuring cups decorated with little cakes. It's a good job I have some self restraint or I really could have ended up spending hundreds. I also found myself picking up Mary Berry's Baking Bible, mainly because that woman is just an absolute queen and I wish she would adopt me but also because it's a really wonderful baking book. There's a great selection of recipes across bread, cupcakes, tray bakes, pastry, etc etc. There really is a little something for everyone and I also like how she included the basics which can then be really easily spruced up and changed about.

Bedroom Tour

What better way to start off my blog than with an insight into my bedroom, the room in which I spend the majority of my time. This is my favourite kind of post to read on other blogs and see in videos, so it's pretty fitting really. Rather than show you every single item and detail in my bedroom I've opted to pick out a few of my favourite decorative pieces. The room itself is a slight off white colour, with white and wooden fixtures and fittings. I wanted a colour scheme that would enable me to easily chop and change the different accessories and other colours within the room... currently everything is very floral, pink and feminine but this could be quickly changed with new textiles, decorations and ornaments. The white walls also help to keep the room really light and airy, something that wasn't often possible when the walls were dark purple. But the fairylights and soft colours, along with the occasional candle, still keep the room feeling really lovely and cosy. I'll also tell you details of where you can buy any of the bits in these photographs too, at least where I can remember them, just in case you fancy getting them yourself.