RECENT PURCHASES

Hello!

Over the past few weeks I've been purchasing a variety of items to do one of these posts, and as I went shopping yesterday as well I thought it'd be nice to show all the things I have gathered up in one post.

The main shops I went in were Topshop, and Miss Selfridge as I feel those clothes are to my taste the most, however there are a few other pieces in here from different shops.

1. Plated Holdall (Topshop)

I got this bag at the end of January because I needed a new bag for school, and this happened to appeal to me the most. What I like a lot is the simplicity and elegance of this bag, and although it looks dirty at the moment because it's used daily and is a light colour, when cleaned and polished the bag looks quite expensive in my opinion. As you can see, it's a light cream/beige which is a really sophisticated colour, with gold hardware and a gold rectangular plate between the straps, and I like this because it makes the bag more exciting and less dull.

2. Satin Scarf (H&M), Earrings (Topshop)

Recently I've been obsessing over scarves ever since I bought a stylish one from Topshop, but I've been in need of a new one for a while as my other scarf is blue/red/gold which doesn't go with everything, so I thought I'd get a different colour range of white/beige/gold with a royal pattern on for more a sophisticated look. I was surprised at H&M when I saw their scarf range because I wasn't expecting a lot, however they have a beautiful range of decorative scarves and I could've easily bought most of them. Also, they're all very inexpensive!
These earrings were bought as a replacement for a recent pair that I wore every day, but stupidly broke them when trying to straighten the needle. Anyway, I wasn't too sure on these circular, tribal patterned earrings as they seemed quite dull, however I've grown to like them and for £6.50 they're of a good quality.

3. Jacquard Treggings (Topshop)

 My wardrobe mainly consists of jeans and disco pants when it comes to trousers as I prefer being more adventurous on my top half then bottom, but I finally broke out of that mind frame and bought these checkered treggings, which are the comfiest trousers I've ever worn. These trousers are best worn with plain and simple clothes otherwise the outfit would clash, but there are loads of different ways these can be styled-even with the limit of a simple top half.

4. Nike Air Force 1's (Footlocker), Converse (Soletrader)

I had my eye on these Air Force 1's for quite a while as I'd seen quite a few people wearing them, but I was never too sure if I could style them without looking chavvy, however last month I got them and I've never been happier with a pair of shoes. I know they don't look amazing or special, but I really like the all white look, and they go with everything which is a bonus.
These converse were bought for school as they're one of the shoes we surprisingly are allowed to wear, but I had to get them in a black leather as we aren't allowed canvas shoes. Anyway, I don't really plan on wearing these for anything but school because they're quite boring and wouldn't make an outfit that amazing.

5. Cream Lace Shirt (Miss Selfridge), Floral Bralet (Topshop)

I'm not usually a blouse sort of person, I feel as though they drown me out a bit because they aren't fitted, however this one from Miss Selfridge surprisingly looks ok. I took it into the changing room because it looked really cute, and elegant but wasn't expecting to like it, yet I do. The bodess is a standard sheer blouse material, whereas the sleeves are made of lace, aswell as the collar, and the cuffs are the blouse material again which gives a nice finish on the sleeves, otherwise if it was just lace the shirt would look in-complete in my opinion.
As soon as I saw this bralet in Topshop I fell in love immediately. It's an in-store exclusive so cannot be bought online, but I luckily went to the shop and managed to see it. This isn't everyones cup of tea because it does look quite childish with the brightly coloured flowers, but I think it would look so cute in Spring/Summer, and even in the colder seasons you could add layers onto the top to keep you warm!

5. Hotel Chocolat Goodies

Whenever I go shopping I have to go into Hotel Chocolat and buy 3 packets of chocolates, I cannot not buy something from there whenever a shop is nearby! Anyway, I opted for the flavours: Strawberry Cheesecakes, Pistachio Praline Crunches, and Salted Soft Caramels. I haven't tried the first 2, however I am in love with the 3rd flavour which is my favourite combination ever. You wouldn't think salt would work in chocolate and caramel, but I'm telling you it does wonderful things...

MY BATHTIME ESSENTIALS

Hello!

Recently I've been suffering with bloggers block and cannot think of anything to write about, until Saturday morning when I started running a bath and thought 'How could I make this into a blog post?' and after a little discussion with myself, I decided I would write about my bath essentials!

Whenever I have a bath I like to use these products the most before, after, and in my bath.

Hair

I am currently obsessed with the Macadamia Oil shampoo and conditioner, and they have easily become my favourite hair duo. The shampoo leaves my hair looking fresh and healthy which is everything I want, especially as I have previously used a lot of heat on my hair, and dye it so sometimes it can look quite limp, but the shampoo vanishes my split ends and brightens my hair nicely. I only use the conditioner on the ends of my hair otherwise my hair becomes very slippy and hard to handle, but it gives my ends a very silky feel and a lovely shine.

Body

I got these 2 body washes for Christmas which is why they look full, but I have used both of them before and immediately fell in love with the scent of them both. The Strawberries & Cream wash smell is very powerful, and the scent stays on my skin all day which is a plus. Also, it doubles up as a body wash and bath mixture, and comes in a very big container so will last me a long time. However, it's not the best for dry skin, where as the Snow Fairy wash is. Snow Fairy is very good at moisturizing the skin, as well as washing it, and leaving a very sweet scent behind, but it is limited edition so I have to be rational when I use it.

After bath care

Espa isn't the most affordable brand for everyone, especially as both of these 200ml bottles cost £22.50, however every penny is worth it. The first thing I like to use is the Cleansing Milk on my face and neck as it's very good for dry and sensitive skin which is exactly my skin type, and can also be used to take off makeup as it's a gentle milk, so wouldn't be harsh on sensitive facial areas. After using this my skin feels very hydrated and soft because of the sweet almond and soya beans to moisturize, whilst the marshmallow, rose, geranium and chamomile soothe and soften my skin as well as leaving a lovely scent.

The Floral Spafresh is for toning the skin and leaving it ready for applying moisturizer and makeup, but also gives a very refreshed feel, and as though my skin as been fixed and repaired-this is because the rose damascena hydrates the skin for moisturizer, and rose geranium soothes and protects while neroli rejuvenates for a smooth finish.

After the bath my body feels very dry-even if I have been using a moisturizing bath lotion, but this vanishes any feeling of dry and cracked skin which is exactly what I need. When applying this you only need a little bit as it goes a long way, but as a 50ml tub I have a feeling it will run out quicker then I expect! The body souffle smells of rose, sandalwood, and vanilla which I admit isn't a fragrance that sounds very enticing, but it is.

Relaxation

The ultimate bath relaxation product is candles, you can't have a bath without candles-it just doesn't work! I used a range of lovely smelling candles to let off a nice aroma in the room, I'm not sure where these candles are from but they all smell delightful. I always get scared the candles will fall into the bath or fall off the bath, but you just have to be weary that you're surrounded by a potential fire hazard and place the candles in a sturdy place otherwise things will go terribly wrong, and you will most definitely not be relaxed.

Whenever I have a bath I always need something to occupy me otherwise I get extremely bored, so I like to take a book or magazine in there with me. I've been taking in The Fault In Our Stars recently as that's what I'm reading, and it keeps me in the bath for an extra unnecessary 10 minutes, but that means I am extra clean and replenished. I sometimes make the mistake of putting my hand in the water then touching my book again leaving me with a partially wet book, oops.

The worst thing is having a dry throat when you're in the bath because that means you have to get out, get a drink, then get back into a possible cold bath which is something I dislike a lot. So, I take up some kind of flavoured tea with me as it's more exciting then English tea, but still leaves you relaxed and humble. Also, when the bath starts to get cold I have a sip of my hot drink and my body feels warmer again so I can stay in the bath longer.

My last relaxation product is bath bombs or bath melts, a bath isn't a bath without some sort of in-bath product. I finally used my Melting Marshmallow Moment bath bomb, which was incredibly relaxing, and a delight to use. My skin felt really clean and clear after lying in the lilac water for around 20 minutes, as well as smelling very delicious and sweet. The great thing about this is that I don't have to use all of it in one go, I only used half in my bath meaning I can use the other half another time, and didn't have to waste it all in one sitting!

Those are a few of my bathtime essentials that I think all baths should consist of.

BEAUTY THINGS I SUCK AT

Hello!

Today I'm going to be writing about beauty things that I suck at. Obviously I'm not a professional make-up artist so don't think I'm particularly skillful at anything to do with beauty, but there are definitely things I suck at a lot more than others.

1. Eyeshadow

I love the overall look of eyeshadow when it's done well, however I cannot seem to master the art of eyeshadow. I know what colours go well with which, and how to blend etc, but I just can't seem to project my knowledge onto eyelids. The most I can do is one colour, with a darker one in the crease, but even then I still don't like how I've done it. Mastering the look of eyeshadow really comes down to what brushes you use and what eyeshadows you use, I have only ever used in-expensive eyeshadows and brushes because I'd rather spend my money on a lipstick etc, but I think this may be one of the reasons I suck at it-I don't use the right tools and brands.

An example of where I go wrong with eyeshadow:

2. Contouring

Unfortunately I can't use the excuse that I don't have the right brushes for contouring because I do, I have the Real Techniques contour brush, but I am always unsure of how much bronzer to use for contouring. I don't want to go over-board and look too bronzed in one particular place, but I also don't want to look like a failure at contouring-where is that in-between? My current bronzer is Bourjois Paris chocolate bronzer which is very good, but when contouring with it I can never seem to make my cheekbones look defined. I know I don't apply too little because when I look in the mirror you can see a clear difference in skin tone, however no change in face shape is there so I'm completely stuck on what I'm doing wrong.

An example of where I go wrong with contouring:

3. Painting toenails

When it comes to painting fingernails I'm not too bad because I paint them quite often, and thankfully have the talent of being able to paint with both hands. Toenails, on the other hand, is not the same situation. For some reason my line of sight is not the same for my toes as it is for my hands, I always seem to end up with nail-varnish on the sides of my nail, and a very streaky looking nail. Why is this? You'd think that painting toenails would be easy and the toenails would cooperate, but mine don't seem to agree. Also, I don't have short toenails so they aren't hard to miss and ruin, yet I still manage to find a way of mucking them up, even though there is plenty of nail to paint on!

An example of where I go wrong with toenail painting:

 

 4. Lip Liner

I don't usually wear lip liner, but on the rare occasions I have, it has never gone right first time. I also can't use the excuse I have a bad lip liner because I don't, however I can't follow the shape of my lips at all; I either end up going round the outside, missing my lip line, or not going close enough to the edge. I also can't match lip liner with lipstick well, the difference in the lipstick to lip liner is too big, and looks way too fake for my liking. In addition, as my lips are quite shaped and big anyway, lip liner tends to make them appear bigger and look as if I've had collagen, I can't line my lips in a way that my lips won't look any bigger/smaller.

An example of where I go wrong with lip liner:

 There are many more small things I suck at in the beauty world, however these are my main weaknesses and things that bring my make-up ability down. Obviously the photos were slightly exaggerated and I am not that bad, they just show the main faults when doing these beauty related things.