Currently Wishing...

Hello Darlings,

With summer just around the corner and an impending trip to Vegas, I'm in the mood for bright colours,  whites, and gold jewellery to offset your tan.

These are the things that I'm currently lusting after!

White Jeans, H&M, £9.99 - here

White Camisole, H&M, £12.99 - here

Black Camisole, H&M, £12.99 - here

Nailvarnish, Mavala, Jaipur, Beauty Bay, £4.00 - here

Rings, H&M, £2.99 - here

Clutch, Zara, £39.99 - here

Shoes, New Look, £59.99 - here

Lipstick, Mac, Morange, £14.00 - here

Necklace, Topshop, £25.00 - here

I am completely in love with the two camisoles, I think they'd look great with some denim shorts and a tan! Definitely time for some online shopping!

Let me know if you have a current wish-list?

Lea

x

p.s. All this hype about GFC; it's still going to be working (so I am informed), so if you'd like to follow me, please still click on the button to the right :) Alternatively, you can follow me via Bloglovin' <3. 

Necessity Hauling?

Every now and then the lovely pretty things end up being left on the shelf while you gravitate towards those things you actually need. Yesterday was one of those days, although one pretty thing did sneak its way in...

 It's not really a secret that my skincare is minimal. I believe in using the least products as possible, as gently as possible - and it really works for me. There are certain products that just work for me, and I stick to them. 

Johnson's Dreamy Skin makeup wipes are one of these, and undoubtedly my HG product. They remove all makeup with no dragging at all, they are nice and moist and they smell divine. However I've decided that now it's coming to the coldest months and I'm wearing more makeup, and more matte textures, something double duty is needed. 

I picked up the Johnson's cleanser as I know that their brand does wonders for my skin, but also the Simple one as I wanted something light for any days when my skin may be a little oilier. 

I then grabbed a toner, simply because when I use a cleanser I like to know with 100% certainty that it is all off my face, and a toner helps to ensure this. This one is just Superdrug's own brand for sensitive skin. Perfect for what I want it for. 

 Just recently the body butter I had just wasn't doing it for me anymore. The smell wasn't right and it was just putting me off using it. This one is absolutely gorgeous, it has a real 'creamy' coconut smell to it rather than just straight up coconut and the smell really lingers, which is something I personally really like. 

And this was my sneaky purchase, I spotted it by the tills and I couldn't leave it. It's called 'Amethyst Glitter' and really is absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to use it, probably in conjunction with a deep vampy purple.

 And finally I picked up a travel mug, (from my University Union) The flask I've been pinching from Alex is just too big, on the heavy side and to be honest, it's not very good. Things seem to go cold in it far too quickly. This is small, compact and I can drink from it on the go too. I shunned the pink option for the festive red version - it reminds me of the Starbucks red cups!

I have another incredibly busy day again today, I have work coming out of my ears and then the joys of being a housewife (cleaning) await me. I'd best disappear and get on with it hadn't I?

Have a great day everyone,

Lea

x

Don't forget to check out my Christmas Yankee Candle giveaway, find it HERE.

What's in my bag?

Good morning darlings,

You might be surprised to find out that I don't actually have a handbag. I swap and change all the time, normally just taking my lipstick and my cards and throwing them into whatever bag takes my fancy that day. I'm not one for having that staple handbag that goes everywhere with me, I'm not sure why, I suppose I like to travel light!

This being said I do have a Uni bag, which comes with me 5 days a week and is most definitely packed to the rafters. I guess you could argue this is my handbag... 

This is what I carry with me on a daily basis. I also normally have either my iPad or the MacBook but they're both on charge at the moment.

 I love Paperchase stationery, and I have to say that I think the set I have this year is my favourite yet. My folder is divided into sections for all of my modules with a section at the back for items such as conqueror paper, envelopes and flashcards. 

 So far my diary has never ran out of battery. I hate it when I need to know what I'm doing and my iPone is either dead or doing something that takes up a long time. My academic year diary keeps me organised with lectures, seminars and all of the dates I have with friends and Alex. 

 Yes, I genuinely do keep all of my pens with their nibs pointing the same way. (How ridiculous is that?) I keep all types of pens and highlighters in one compartment, sticky notes, tabs, eraser and ruler in the other, and the middle section holds my memory stick, some stamps and paperclips.

 When it's winter I like to take soup with me to Uni. We have an area where we can heat up food so I fill the flask up and have it for my lunch. 

 My purse, of course. 

A hairbrush and an umbrella, because I live in England and you can't really go anywhere without these  two. And also my car keys. I live quite far from the University as we fell in love with a house in the suburbs of Leeds. In fairness it is only a 10 minute drive with clear traffic, but if I was taking public transport it would take me around an hour and a quarter to get in. I rent a car space privately that is just behind the law building and it's worked out great so far!

I also carry a small pouch with my 'health' essentials. Alongside my lip balms, I also carry:

 My nail file in it's protective case, and nail glue for any nail disasters during the day. 

Ibuprofen caplets, because I suffer from migraines (I hate the powdery ones, I can't get them down, they have to have the sugar coating). I normally have Nurofen Migraine, but since the ear ache I've had basic ones because I've been getting through so many of them. 

I also have the original L'Occitane hand cream, it's my all time favourite and smells like baby powder.

One of my Sweet Anthem solid perfume samples. Phoebe is my favourite but Annabelle comes in a close second. I love the fact that you can sample the fragrances before you buy - I'll be placing an order soon for a full sized Phoebe, and potentially this one too.

 And finally I have my makeup bag. I keep my daily basics in here but never anything expensive incase I lose it. As a general rule I carry Collection concealer, powder, (I wear the lightest shade in both), highlighter, blusher and lipstick.  I also have an MUA eyeshadow pallet, a Rimmel eyeliner and my Sleek Contour Kit. I really enjoy Collection for my Uni makeup bag, I find it great quality for the price and it generally does what it promises to. Best of all if it gets broken or lost it can be replaced in a pinch. 

And that's it! Sometimes I feel like my shoulder is about to fall off but at least I'm prepared.

Now I'm off (with my bag) to Uni, so I'll see you later!

Lea

x

Don't forget to check out my Christmas Yankee Candle giveaway HERE.

Festive Nails

Now that Halloween and Bonfire Night have passed, I feel like I can truly get into the festive spirit. This year I'm pleased to report that I have almost finished with the Christmas shopping! I have 4 presents left to buy, I just need to order them.

Thankfully this means I can sit back, relax and enjoy the festivities without getting stressed out - and where better to start than my nails?

I'm not going to lie, Nail posts generally aren't my favourite thing. But I have had a lot of compliments on my nails in the past few days so I thought I'd make an exception this time.

The colours that I am wearing are both by Barry M.

- The red is colour is 'Red Wine' - In the bottle it's a lovely murky red brown colour, however it does come out a little brighter than the bottle. This is 2 coats, so perhaps 3 would darken it some more. 

- The glitter is called 'Yellow Topaz Glitter' - very imaginative I know. It's a gorgeous chunky gold glitter mixed in with fine gold glitter. It looks amazing with just one coat over a polish, but to achieve a slightly more opaque look I used around 4 coats. I wanted to still see dashes of red peeking through so I left it there, but I dare say with another couple of coats it would be completely opaque. 

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Although my nails may look festive, I myself am not feeling so festive.

I have the worst ear/jaw ache that I've ever had in my life, and this is my third day of it - the amount of painkillers I have consumed (after which I am pleased to report that I am still alive) is frankly shocking. I think I deserve shares in Nurofen!

I hope you all had an amazing and safe Bonfire Night <3

Lea

x

If you're feeling festive too, don't forget to check out my Christmas Yankee Candle Giveaway which you can find HERE.

Autumn Hair and Beauty Inspiration

Hi Darlings,

I've been having a scout out for some Autumn/Winter beauty inspiration this afternoon and I'm super pleased with what I found!

I love the whole transition between Summer and Autumn/Winter, it's so exciting to try out all the new textures that appear!

 Add a pearl to your ponytail at the nape of your neck, it's an instant way to make your everyday style classic and chic. 

Try a texturising spray to achieve the matte effect. This is fantastic for the winter months as it will hide a multitude of hair sins. 

 For a night out why not try the graphic eyeshadow look? Add false eyelashes in a feathery texture to add drama.

Try out some new colours. Shimmery shades in a bold colour offer a change from the Autumnal burgundy lip.

 Opt for minimal eye makeup and a flawless complexion. Pair it with a red lipstick in a shade that suits your skin tone, and use it as a light stain on your cheeks to achieve a matchy matchy look.

For a twist on the dark shades that dominate our nails during the colder months, apply a nude shade and paint the tips in your favourite wintery colour. 

I love finding new inspiration, so please link me back to your blog in the comment section if you have any for me!

Have a fantastic autumnal day lovelies,

Lea

x

Photos via Vogue.com

Little Update and Winter Wishlist!

Hi lovelies,

I'm so sorry I disappeared again for a while. After my last post, to top off my bad luck, my iMac broke and had to be sent off for repair (for the second time in 2 years!!) I guess when you've been out if the swing of blogging for a while you get out of the loop and it takes some time to get back into it properly. 

In the time I've been gone I've changed my hair colour (to red) changed it back again (to blonde - what a farse that was!) had my last shift at YooMoo, developed a complete love affair with Chai Latte and have gone completely Autumn/Winter crazy.

I don't know about you, but I absolutely adore Autumn and Winter. I've sorted out my wardrobe and put my summer clothes away, and out have come the comfy, cosy jumpers and snoods. I find it so comforting watching a film on the sofa with a Chai Latte or a Hot Chocolate while it's pouring down outside. Alex has been looking up loads of crafty things to do for Halloween and Christmas and I'm so looking forward to it :) 

Having said all that, here is my current wishlist. I love everything on here, and it's all pretty budget friendly! I'm loving H&M at the moment, they have some really great key pieces if you look carefully for them, and I'm in love with everything here <3

All of the pieces bar the nail varnish are from H&M and are priced as follows:

Jumper: £24.99 (here)

Black Jeans: £19.99 (here)

Boots: £29.99 (here)

Hair tie: £4.99 (here)

Snood: £7.99 (here)

The Nail Varnish is by Mavala and is available from The Beauty Bay for £3.50 - The shade is Monte Video.

I hope you've all been well while I've been away, let me know what's on your winter wishlist!

Lea

x

Inspiration: The Ballet Edition

I love this look, I'm always so envious of Ballet Dancers, I would love to have that discipline. Although I did it when I was young, dance has never been my thing unfortunately; I've always been musical instead.

I feel like it is such a beautiful and whimsical look, and so ultra feminine <3

Lea

X

Holiday Hauling, Part 1

I went out this morning and picked up a few things that I needed for my holiday. I got quite a lot, but spent a really small amount in comparison to what I got I think!

I thought I'd let you in on the little bits first :)

Primark

I really wanted a cosmetics bag that would be large enough for me to fit everything in, so all my makeup, and also my mini shampoo, conditioner, and all my body products. (I have a small one that I use for my touch ups during the day that I'll be taking too). This one was the perfect size as it was large enough to realistically let me do that, but small enough to make sure I'm not taking half of my bathroom cabinet with me! This was £3 from Primark (the following are also from Primark).

The neon nail varnishes were an impulse buy while I was in the queue, for £2 I thought they were fun and would look great on my toes in the sunny weather <3

The earrings are a regular purchase for me, I always seem to lose the other half to the top two sizes! These were £2.

The neon Aztec inspired cuff was in the sale for £1 and I thought it was too nice to pass up.

The bracelets were actually from the mens department but I really liked the colours and different textures. It was £2 for the set and I can't wait to wear them!

I thought the bright neon hair ties were great fun for £1, and so were the bright bobby pins also at £1 (the plain brown ones were the same price).

The nail file comes with a case which is handy, and was £1.

Superdrug

I picked up some nail varnish remover pads as it's so much easier to use those than to carry a bottle of remover and cotton pads when you're travelling. I believe they were around the £1.50 mark.

I also went to the MUA stand as I'd heard great things from a girl who I work with about the pressed powder. I picked that up in the lightest shade (£1), the curling mascara (£2), the white eyeliner pencil (£1), the blush in shade 1 (£1), and the lip gloss in shade 5 (£1).

That means that for all of the above I paid just above £20!

I'll be back later with the rest of my haul - next up - clothing!

Lea

x

A Makeup Inspiration [3]

Soft Messy Hair with plenty of volume.

Flashes of white around the eye.

Soft fluffy lashes for a girlish look.

Peacock smoky eyes.

Bright orange-red lips.

Soft natural lips, for a soft kissable look.

Deep burgundy with highlighting work and a high shine.

Chanel's crescent silver-pink nails.

Lea

x

Images via Vogue.com

Olympic Makeup

No, this isn't a tutorial on Union Jack Eyeshadow, sorry hehe :)

This is the look I'm going to be going for while I'm away. I'm going to want to be out early to enjoy the day so I don't want to faff about with doing lots of intricate makeup things.

I'll start off and do my base as usual, I wish I was someone who could just throw on some BB cream and look fabulous, but it takes me some work to make my skin look good. That in itself will take me about 5 minutes, so not too long. It includes foundation, concealer, and powder to set. Then a quick contour of my cheekbones, fill in my brows and highlight whatever needs it.

Once that's out the way, these are my steps to look fabulous quickly!

• Sweep some shimmer eyeshadow across the lids and under the tear ducts, this one is Champagne by Bobbi Brown. It's easy, simple and feminine.
• Line my top lid with black liner (I'm not a fan of brown on myself) and depending on my mood, either smudge it out, or add some to my waterline if it's night time. This is the Bobbi Brown pencil eyeliner.
• A couple of coats of dramatic mascara and my eyes are good to go! This one is Bobbi Brown's Extreme Party Mascara.

• Sweep a little bronzer across the high points of my face, add a pop of pretty pink blush (This duo is great as it includes a bronzer and a blush, perfect for on the go!)
• Swipe a coat of red lipstick across my lips. I'm not someone who worries about red lipstick, I think if you do it right, it wears nicely and I've never really had that whole lipstick teeth problem. This one is Red by Bobbi Brown.

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This will take me probably around 15 minutes. I can normally get ready in full in 35 minutes including a shower, so I don't think that's too bad!

As for the nail polish, I mentioned in my last post that I'm going to paint my nails in either red or blue with an accent nail in the opposite colour. I'm not sure which way around yet though!

I'm going to invest in Racing Green for either a change or for my toes, it's completely British and has an amazing shine! As always you can get Mavala Nail Varnishes online from The Beauty Bay for £3.50.

Lea

x

Olympic Inspiration!

Next Friday I'm off to London and Cornwall/Devon for almost two weeks. We're going down to see a couple of Olympic Events (Sailing and Volleyball), soak up the atmosphere and explore Devon and Cornwall. I'm not allowed to know exact details as Alex has planned it all and wants it to be a surprise, so I can't really tell you more than that! All I know is that it's going to involve lots of travelling and is going to be like one big road trip!

This is an outfit that I have put together which I would love to wear to the Sailing event. It's going to be in a large enclosed grassy area for want of a better description so I'm going to have to get practical as well as stylish. I should point out at this point that I have never owned a backpack. They aren't my thing, but we're travelling around such a lot and they have pretty strict regulations for the Olympics that I have caved, and found the least offensive one possible! It had to be under a certain size but be suitable that I could carry everything that we need, so tickets, money, cameras, phones, a blanket to sit on (just for the sailing event) and then my essential bits of makeup and a hairbrush. I'm pretty happy with what I found :D

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So! On to the actual outfit!

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Nail Varnish

I'm going to do a little post on the extras that I would finish this look off with but I thought I'd pop the nail varnish in there since it looked so pretty with the colours :D. It's Mavala Party Time and Marine Blue. I thought I'd wear them together with one accent nail - I'm not sure which way around yet though! You can get them online from The Beauty Bay at £3.50 each.

Shorts

These particular shorts are from H&M and are £14.99. I'm finding it really difficult to find shorts that aren't basically denim knickers. In my opinion, nobody wants to see that much leg of anyones unless you're a size 8 or have no cellulite whatsoever. I like my shorts to hit about 4-5 inches down my leg, just above the mid point between my knees and the top of my legs. I also like them to be a little loose around the legs as personally I'm not a fan of super tight shorts, I prefer them to be really comfy soft washed denim. The hunt continues!

Camisole

A basic white camisole; I live in these, I put them under anything and everything. They're great for layering, keep you comfy when itchy knitwear rears its head and are just all round practical. I buy mine from Primark for £2 each.

Wellies

Black Gloss Hunter Wellies - The most classic wellies you can buy, they're comfy and look fabulous. I have a post on these coming up soon!

Socks

Over the Knee Socks. I like mine to be in a cream/off white colour as I find them the most stylish and flattering, but colours can be fun too :) These are from Next and are around £5.

Jumper

Union Jack Jumper, come on, I had to get patriotic right? I got this from Primark a couple of days ago on a whim and am really pleased with it. It's not something I'll wear forever so I didn't want to spend a lot but £12 seemed alright to me :) It's really soft and has tiny flecks of glitter in the white, nothing obvious just so that it would catch the light every so often. I bought it in a size bigger, so a 12, so that it would be a little bit slouchy - love it!

Backpack

Shugon Milan Backpack in Natural. These retail at around £10 online depending on where you shop from. I liked that it was simple and plain, I might sew on a few badges that I have to make it my own :) It's machine washable so even if it gets dirty it can be cleaned and for that price I was happy enough. I was adamant that I didn't want a hideous black thing on my back with NIKE or ADIDAS emblazoned across it *shudder*.

I'm on the hunt for my last few essentials to take away with me! Are you going to the Olympics? What are you going to see?

Lea

x

A Wednesday Wish-List...

These are some of the things I would love to click home today, but I know I have to be good and save my pennies until my London Olympic holiday in just over 2 weeks now.

Bacardi Pina Colada Cocktail

I love Pina Colada, it's my absolute favourite and I would adore a bottle of this. It retails for around £10 which I don't think is too bad, but putting a bottle of this into my weekly shopping basket would sure escalate the price at the till!

Betty Hula Rum and Blackcurrant Body Butter

This is available at Sainsbury's and again retails at around £10. I feel like that is a huge price for a little pot, but I really do love rum and this sounds too yummy to pass up on!

Mavala Honolulu and Victoria Nail Varnishes

It's no secret that I love Mavala, and these colours from the 50th Anniversary collection look so bright and punchy I can't take my eyes off them! I would love to have these for my holiday, I think they'd look great on both my fingers and my toes! You can find them at TheBeautyBay for around £3.50 each.

Salon Confidential Bouncy Curl Extensions

I've spoken before about Salon Confidential (I have the volume wave extensions), and I've decided that I'd like to take the plunge into full on curls again. I find that curls suit my face a lot more than straight hair, and there's nothing like a bit of volume to make you feel glamorous and feminine! These retail at around £40 on the NewLook Website, or you can search online for them.

Fifi Lapin iPhone Case

At the moment I have a dull pink case on my phone and I find this Fifi Lapin one so adorable it's ridiculous. I have such a soft spot for bunnies (I do have 3 after-all!) and I'm in love with the femininity and whimsicalness of the colours it uses. My only concern it how well it would wear and whether the design would wear away over time... I found it online here, for £24.99. (Just to quickly mention, the site I have linked to has some really cute and individual cases, perfect for us girly girls - check them out!)

Scarlett (Gone With The Wind Sequel) Book

This has truly terrible reviews, I can't even lie, but I desperately want to read it. Gone With The Wind is my favourite film of all time, it reminds me of my Grandma who I used to watch it with when I was a little girl. Let's face it, we all want to know if Scarlett won Rhett back don't we?

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So being realistic, I know I can't have them all, but I know I can pick a couple for my holiday. I'm going to pick up the Nail Polishes and the Book.

I have been saving up for a while for the extensions so when I'm at my target I'll definitely be ordering them, but for now I need to hold on to my hockey sticks! (I should have them by my holiday though)

Once I'm on my hols, I'm also planning on buying a bottle of the Pina Colada as a treat. It's going to be great for having a drink in our hotel room before we go out (or before seeing my mother-in-law), or hopefully when/if we stay in a camping pod :D

It would be silly to buy it up here since I would have to transport it all the way down to London with me and that probably wouldn't end well.

Do you fancy any of these things? I'd love to know what you're coveting!

Lea

x

Into The Ocean

I love how clean and fresh this can look, Nautical screams summer to me. I'm definitely going to invest in a pair of boat shoes or some white converse <3

Lea

x

(All images via weheartit.com)