New Look A/W 2015 Wishlist

Lately whenever I've been shopping, I've found myself drawn to more items of clothing in New Look than anywhere else. They are starting to preview their Autumn/Winter collection and so far I've been really impressed by the prints, quality and cut of their pieces. Here are a few of my favourite picks which will probably accidentally fall into my online basket next payday!

Cameo Rose Multicoloured Sleeveless Paisley Print Shirt£14.99

The pattern of this shirt reminds me of those adult colouring books I'm seeing everywhere at the moment!

Girls on Film Black Floral Flare Sleeve Top
£25.00

Yellow Ditsy Floral Frill Bubble Hem Crop Cami
£9.99

Not at all appropriate for the colder weather but I think this will look so cute with the skirt below!

Navy Pocket Button Front A-Line Denim Skirt
£19.99

Influence Rust Flared Sleeve Lace Trim Top
£22.99

I've surprised myself with this pick - it's something I would love on someone else but never usually pick for myself, but I'm really loving the rust orange colour at the moment!

What do you think of my wishlist? What are you looking forward to purchasing and wearing for Autumn/Winter?

♥

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Graduation Ball

Last night was my Grad Ball and I thought I would share some photos and talk about how amazing a time I had. I can't believe how quickly my three years at university has flown by and I didn't stop smiling all night, I enjoyed every minute of celebrating. 

I will be graduating from Warwick University in July and our ball was held at The Hilton Hotel in Birmingham. There were a few choices on the menu and I went for a Meditteranean vegetable stack to start, Mango Sorbet, Mushroom & Beetroot Risotto and then we had to have Chocolate Torte for pudding, although I hate chocolate desserts so I was really disappointed and barely touched that. But the rest of the food was really delicious.

I absolutely loved my dress and felt really comfortable all night. I paired it with jewelled sandals and a simple black clutch bag because I am rarely one to wear heels. I had planned to have half my hair up but realised I'd forgotten to pack hair accessories when I was getting ready, oops! I am an absolute magpie when it comes to anything sparkly and so this outfit was really me.

After the formal dinner, we were escorted over to the party room complete with photo booth and chocolate fountain fun! After overindulging in both activities, we danced for hours and hours. The band were incredible, playing some absolute classic rock songs but also cheesy pop which got everyone up and dancing, and it was such an incredible atmosphere. The DJ was spot on as well and my feet were so sore by the end!

I only got three hours sleep last night but it was absolutely worth it! I loved every single minute and it was the perfect way to end my degree and time at university.

♥

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River Island Haul

So just lately I have gone a little mad shopping. I've lost nearly two stone in about a year and a half, so I wanted to treat myself to some new things ready for Spring and Summer. Lately I have been loving River Island and thought I would share my latest purchases with you following the Primark Haul I posted last week. Warning - this haul contains lots of embellishment and sparkle! Anyone who knows me knows I'm literally a magpie when it comes to jewels, and this haul proves no different!

Embellished tee: £25

Slogan Stripe Tee: £7 in the sale

Embellished Sandals: £45 

I cannot believe the detail on these babies! They look 100 times better on, and these were a wonderful gift from my Mum as an early graduation present, so thanks Mum!

Heart Anklet: £3

Swing Earrings (in my piercing closest to the right): £4

Primark Haul

Earlier today I went to Primark and thought I would share my latest buys with you. I haven't done any Fashion related posts before, so I thought I would try something new. Our nearest Primark is about an hour away so I don't get to go very often, and I love being nosey and looking at what other bloggers and Youtubers have purchased! I thought I would treat myself as I've been so stressed lately what with job applications, my dissertation and all of my university work.

Copper LED Battery Fairy Lights: £6

to fuel my Rose Gold/Copper obsession!

Cushion: £2.10 in the sale, originally £3

Workout Skipping Rope: £1 in the sale

From the Beauty Section:

This light pink glittery pencil case/ make up bag: £2

Cellulose (Exfoliating) sponges: £1

Friends tshirt: £6

This is my new lazy day/pyjama top

Plain Grey Boyfriend Roll Sleeved tee: £4.00

I think this will look great with black skinny jeans and a leather jacket for every day!

Scallop and daisy edged vest: £5

It's difficult to photograph the detail but the daisy cut outs around the scallop go all the way around the bottom, the neck and around the armholes. Super pretty - I think every Youtuber has this!

Cream Cami Vest: £4

Running outfit

Black vest: £4

Black 3/4 leggings: £6

Mint blue geometric crop top: £3.50

Bambi wrapping paper: £1.50 per roll

I am Bambi obsessed, and I've purchased this to give to my Mum to wrap my birthday presents in - never heard of anyone purchasing their OWN wrapping paper before but oh well!

Sandals: £6 

I can rarely find an 8 for my elephant feet in Primark so I was well chuffed when I did as I love the embellishment and rose gold detailing to these. It is a suede effect ban around your ankles and between your toes, with a flexible rose gold bar across the foot

Sliders: £4

What do you think of my purchases? Have you been to Primark lately and blogged/vlogged about it? If so, leave your links below and I'll make sure to have a read :)

♥

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Vivienne Westwood x Melissa Ballerina Shoes

I could not contain my excitement when I noticed a parcel sitting on my bed when I arrived home from Uni to enjoy Reading Week with my family. These are not just any pair of shoes, these are a particularly dreamy pair of shoes that I have been lusting over since Summer. At £68 in the sale down from £108, I feel I bagged myself an absolute bargain for designer shoes.They arrived in this mint green shoe box and were packaged beautifully in a Vivienne Westwood dust bag. Vivienne Westwood and Melissa Shoes have collaborated for several seasons now, and these shoes are made from the super soft patented 'Melflex' plastic typical of all Melissa shoes. These have a matt finish, and so don't feel or look like jelly shoes. What I love about the flexible plastic is that it really moulds to your feet, and I can't quite believe how comfortable they are. The tartan insole and twist on the Vivienne Westwood logo on the toes add the typical Westwood touch that all fans of the brands love so much. I am planning on saving these for several important events I have coming up this year - mainly my 21st birthday celebrations, my Graduation Day and the celebrations with family and friends afterwards, and also my Nan's 80th birthday. I'm not a huge fan of heels and prefer comfort any day, and think these will add the perfect final touch to my outfits.

♥

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Handmade Creaseless Kink-Free Elastic Hair Ties

For months now I've been trying to grow my hair, and I dread to think how long I have spent Google-ing solutions. One of the things I found that kept being mentioned is how much damage standard hair bobbles can do to your hair. When I first read it, I thought it was an overly dramatic statement, but then I started noticing how much I tugged on hair bobbles to take them out, and how much hair gets wrapped around them which is pulled out. The main problem is the metal used in them!

So I started looking for creaseless hair ties like these. They are made of strong elastic with no metal. The reviews were correct - from the few days of me wearing my set, I find they are a lot comfier, I barely feel it there. You can also pull them out as hard as you can and you'll find it doesn't hurt half as much and I am losing less hair. They are perhaps slightly more expensive than standard hair ties, but I think they are prettier and the benefits to your hair are definitely worth it!

I love crafting and making things, so I decided to make my own. I'm so glad I decided to try them and I have had several family members already texting me asking me to make them some!

When I purchased the elastic to make my own, I accidentally bought far too much material, not realising how little elastic would be needed for each hair bobble. Well anyway, to cut a long story short, as I was sat making these I realised I had made in total of 45 hair bobbles out of the elastic I had bought!

So, I have wrapped one of each colour on some recycled card which I have made look super cute with a little cut out heart, and I'm selling some sets on eBay. These would make perfect presents, or a nice little treat for you if you are also trying to grow your hair or just be kinder to it!

The link to them is here

What do you think of the hair ties? Do you have any other tips of ways I can look after my hair and help it to grow?

♥

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Clothes Show Live! Birmingham

Apologies for not having blogged for a while - I have been completely run off my feet with job applications, essays and never ending reading lists! I'm really looking forward to 4 weeks at home when hopefully I will be blogging a lot, so keep your eyes peeled!

So on Saturday, I went to the Clothes Show in Birmingham with one of my best friends Beth. It's only about half an hour from where I am at uni, and we both went about 4 years ago and fancied going again. I was so excited and I can't wait to book my tickets for next year's already!

First of all we watched the Catwalk Fashion/Dance Show. For me, this is A-MAZ-ING. Not only do models do that flawless walk down the catwalk, the hesitation at the end, and the strut back that we all envy let's face it, but there were also 3 or 4 dance scenes of the models and the theme this year was New York/America - my favourite place on earth! So it is really really entertaining.

Rick Edwards hosted this year, I managed to get a photo of him with this topless model giving a goody bag out - the girl who received this got to go on stage and get a cuddle and kisses from him and I'm still jealous today!

Jetta performed, who I had never heard of before but I couldn't believe how amazing her voice was. She was absolutely stunning and her performance was unbelievable. 

Here are some photos from the catwalk / dance show. It really was amazing and I think I sat with my jaw open for the whole hour or so!

We then walked round the endless rows of stalls spending like there was no tomorrow - I spotted Lauren Goodger and had major hair envy!! The queues to have photos with the TOWIE/MIC cast were huge so we just tried to grab snaps from afar - sneaky!

I purchased some Sparkly Lips lipstick - it's not actually a lipstick, it is a hypo allergenic glue and then you use the applicator to roll loose glitter (also face friendly!) over the top. I am such a magpie to anything sparkly and we couldn't wait to try it. I fell in love so much I purchased a tub of the Rose Pink-Red to bring home, and can't wait to wear it to all the Christmas parties and meals over the festive season! 

Barry M had their infamous £10 goody bags which are just incredible. They are so popular girls were running over and handing £10 over without even asking what came in the goody bag. You couldn't choose the things in them but I think it is such good value for money. I received 6 nail varnishes (Gold Crackle Effect, a Metallic Grey which I love, Baby Blue Textured Effects, Black and Gold Glitter, Magnetic Metallic Grey polish and a Limited Edition coral pink colour. I also received 2 dazzle dusts, three eyeliners AND a lipgloss!)

I also purchased the £10 Models Own Goody Bag. What I loved about this was that you chose your three Models Own Nail varnishes, and they put them in a goody bag with the other items for you for £10. As these polishes retail at £5 each I wasn't even bothered what they put in the bag, but it was actually really nice stuff! I received eyelash curlers, four eyeshadow applicators and two make up sponges which I am constantly in need of, two eyeliners, a nail art pen, a lip balm, a pocket mirror and a four sided nail file and buff. Wow!

I also purchased the W7 In the Nude Palette on a whim. These retail at about £7-£8 each, and I managed to bag this for £5. You could get 3 for £10 which is an absolute steal, but I just couldn't think who to buy them for! It is clearly a Urban Decay Palette Dupe, and I was really keen to try this because I've been meaning to start wearing eyeshadow for a while. I've never really been one for eyeshadow, as I'm generally awful at applying it, but I thought for £5 I can't go wrong! If I like it I may make the Urban Decay investment!

Did any of you attend the Clothes Show this weekend? If so, what were your favourite purchases? For those of you who didn't, what do you think of the bargains I managed to pick up? I'd love to hear from you all in the comments below

♥

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November Favourites

Hi everyone! Sorry for not blogging as much as usual, I've been so busy over the last few weeks getting reading done, essays written and dissertation planned ready for Christmas deadlines! Term ends on Friday, so I will be blogging a lot more again within the next few weeks.

Here are my November favourites - not all are Beauty related! I hope you enjoy, and if you post a November favourites, comment below with the link as I would love to read them all!

Save the Children Robin Christmas Jumper I haven't actually worn this yet, because I think it is against the law to wear a Christmas Jumper before 1st December (not the fairisle ones, they're OK, just the full on novelty ones!) But this is a firm favourite of mine for November because I really can't wait to wear it. I'm holding a Christmas Jumper fundraiser round my house for Save the Children which I will be blogging all about afterwards, so it will be perfect for that, and I'm so glad some of the money I spent on this jumper went to the charity. Everyone who knows me knows I have an obsession with bird prints so Robins are perfect for me, and I love the pom poms!

2-in-1 Cuticle Trimmer I have the world's worst cuticles, especially in winter. They seem to grow so quickly and get quite painful when they are dry, and make my nails just look awful! I've tried every cream, oil and cuticle pusher under the sun, but this 2-in-1 trimmer is definitely the answer to my cuticle crisis. I was a bit nervous as it is quite sharp, but if you apply gentle force as you push along your cuticle, you remove so much more than any other cuticle product I've tried. I would definitely recommend this if you suffer with dry and overgrown cuticles.


Kate Moss Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in '107' I do love pretty lipsticks, but I am not the most confident person when it comes to branching out and wearing anything more than a subtle colour. I saw this Kate Moss lipstick in Boots though, and thought it was about time I started wearing whatever I like, and I'm so glad I did. I love this berry purple-red colour and think it is perfect for Autumn/Winter. I've received several compliments on this and feel it really adds the perfect final touch to my make up.

Glade Honey and Chocolate Candle In the last few weeks or so I've really developed a candle obsession. I saw this in Tesco on offer for £2 when doing my weekly shop, and when I smelt it I just had to buy it! It smells so dreamy, and I think Honey and Chocolate really compliment each other well. I'm not a huge fan of Christmassy candle smells in general (although I am lusting over the Yankee Candle Angels Wings one) but this still has that warm and rich Autumn-Winter smell perfect for a candle at this time of year.

Take That and Olly Murs tickets I haven't actually received my tickets yet so couldn't include these in the photo, and they aren't really a product you would typically find in any blogger's favourites, but I just wanted to scream from the rooftops that within the last fortnight I've managed to get tickets for my two most favourite music artists. After spending a nervous hour or so before the 9am ticket release sat refreshing ticket master, I managed to get both within 10 minutes of them being released - which any Take That fan will know is unbelievable! (On the last tour it took me 6 hours at my computer to find some tickets). I'm really really excited, and they are both within a fortnight of each other in May 2015 so even though I'll have exams around then, I've still got things to look forward to.

I hope you enjoyed reading my post - if you would like regular updates, please follow me on Bloglovin', Instagram or Twitter - the links are posted below. I'm a few followers off 200 on Twitter so I would appreciate your help in getting me to hit the next big round number!

♥

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How to Clean White Vans/Converse

Let's face it, we all love white Converse, Vans, Keds and so on. They look amazing when they are brand new, and are sooo comfy. But they pick up dirt like a magnet, and any little mark on them just makes me want to cry! So as I was washing them this weekend, I thought I would share the entire process from start to finish with you, so your white trainers can be as sparkly and new looking as mine. I only use everyday cleaning products you'll find around your house, so this will cost you virtually nothing!

What you will need

Washing up liquid

Vanish Oxy Action Stain Remover (I'm using a Wilkos one to save pennies)

A cheap/old toothbrush - I bought two from Wilkos for 18p

1. Fill a washing up bowl with warm/hot water - you will be sticking your hands in and out so don't burn yourself! Put two scoops of Oxy Action Stain Remover in and swirl it around until all the little bits have dissolved. Remove the laces from the shoes. If these are dirty I would recommend just binning them and buying new ones, it's a lot easier than trying to clean them. 

2. Soak one trainer in the bowl.

3. With the other shoe, take your toothbrush and squirt some washing up liquid on the brush. Scrub in small circular motions around the rubber on the bottom of the shoe first. Every so often, wipe away at the shoe with an old towel to remove the excess dirt where you have been scrubbing, and so you can assess how clean it is and whether you need to keep scrubbing or not.

4. Switch the shoes over, and while you're soaking the other shoe now scrub away at the rubber on the other shoe and keep wiping.

5. Now make sure both shoes are in the bowl, submerged in the water. Leave them for a few hours.

6. Remove one of the shoes and wipe any excess dirt off. Now, again start scrubbing in circular motions at the canvas part of the shoe with the toothbrush and fairy liquid, wiping with the towel every so often. Do this to the entire canvas part, then put it back in the water and switch.

7. Leave them again for a few hours, and keep going until you feel that the big stains and marks have been removed. 

8. Leave them to dry, and ta-dah! The finished product! 

♥

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October Wishlist

Ghost Deep Night Eau de Toilette

Kate Moss Matte Lipstick - 'Wine' 107

Topshop MOTO Black Ripped Leigh Jeans

Lush 'Snow Fairy' Limited Edition Shower Gel

Lush 'Northern Lights' Bath Bomb

Lush 'Magic Wand' Reusable Bubble Bar

W7 In the Buff Natural Nudes Eye Colour Palette

♥

Student Takeover: Leamington Spa

So tonight our local shopping centre in Leamington Spa hosted a Student Takeover event, where basically from 6-9 there were huge discounts in all of the stores, including Gap, Superdry, Topshop and New Look, and also lots of prize competitions and freebies.

Me and my flat mate decided to venture down for some retail therapy after what has been an extremely busy start to term. I only ended up buying a jumper from Topshop, but I am SO pleased with my purchase. I've had my eye on it for a while now, and with 20% off and a £10 gift card from my birthday, it only came to £26 which I thought was a real bargain! I also picked up some free food they were giving away, so a shot of an Oreo milkshake, and some samples of starters from Pierres restaurant. We also received a free "Leamington Spa" goody bag, and went to chat to the PCSOs for a bit who gave me the flip flops pictured! 

I also won a travel card holder in Cath Kidston, which retails at £14 so I'm quite impressed! I'm not keen on the pattern myself, which is unlike me as I love Cath Kidston, so I'm deciding who to give it to as a present when I go home this weekend! 

After an hour or so of shopping, the hunger pains kicked in and we headed over to Prezzos. It's one of our favourite places to eat and I definitely recommend looking online and signing up to receive their offers. You can really save money on your final bill! I had baked mushrooms to start which were filled with Mozzarella and Gran Padano cheese, and breadcrumbs with a garlic mayonnaise dip. For main, I had Spaghetti Carbonara which is AMAZING at Prezzo. 

It was really nice relaxing for the evening after what has been a hectic week. I'm going home tomorrow for the weekend as well which I will almost definitely be blogging about! 

I definitely recommend heading to any student nights your local shopping centres and towns hold. We saved so much money and received vouchers off for future orders :) and let's face it, us students love our freebies and bargains! 

♥