Holiday Fashions - British Getaway

Yesterday I showed you everything I was planning on taking on holiday with me in the line of beauty tomorrow!

So today I'm going to show you all the bits I've packed too!
Now I'm full aware  I'm going for a week, and yes, I know I have enough clothes for 2 weeks.
My justification in this is simple:
1) you never know what you're going to want to wear when you wake up. You might think you do but if you suddenly feel like the biggest girl ever, that bodycon isnt going to fill you with confidence.
2) Its a British holiday...in the Lake District... I don't know what the weathers going to be like. If you go to Cyprus, you know what you're getting but the UK is so unpredictable.

Anyway, I've taken a few photos for you guys to check out with a bit of detail below as I don't think theres anything more annoying than seeing bloggers clothes and not knowing where they've bought it from so I thought I'd help anyone out.

Dresses
Tarten Dress - Ark - Post where I bought this here
Grey Skater Dress - Topshop 
Owl Dress - Purplish London - This was a Christmas present from my mum, a similar one can be found here

Long Tops
Floral Print - Primark
Baseball Style - Primark
Snow White - Primark (All 3 of these were £6 each)
Jaws - H&M

 Skirts
I know this seems a lot but all 3 are completely different style and fit on me.
L-R
Topshop
Primark
Republic (bought in an old haul here)

Bottoms
Floral Leggings - Primark - Reduced to £2
Jeans - Republic

T-Shirts
Red Floral Tee - Zara
Simpsons - Primark - £6
Pug - River Island - £15
Polka Dot - Topshop - £3 in the sale
Black and White Cami - New Look - Haul here
White Crop - Topshop

ETC
I did forget to photograph my Brand New tee with the others oops.

Brand New T-shirt - Bought at a gig
Fast Food PJ Bottoms - Primark - £5 
Hat - Topshop
SwimmingCostume - Primark

Warmth
The Story so Far Jumper - Bought at a gig
The Maine Jumper - Bought at a gig
Cardigan - New Look

 And there you go, all packed (theres actually more in here ive crammed a hairdryer and some shorts in here)


Just to clarify - I have remember wellies / underwear / scarfs etc. I just didnt think they were the most thrilling things to show you and I'll be putting up my OOTH (outs of the holiday) when I get back :)

What are your holiday must-haves? Please let me know if I'm forgetting anything!!! 

I won't be posting live until next week but don't forget I will be bringing you a rundown of all the Benefit Skincare range next week, you can find the preview here!!

Have a great week
xXx

Shopping Haul (Brace Yourself)

Yesterday I mentioned that I had a rather guilty spending spree when my friend Lyndsey came down for the day (post here).

I also promised to show you guys what I bought so here you go....

 

Lush

Did I mention I love Lush? 

Dragons Egg Bath Bomb - £3.35 - BUY

This smells like every sweet you ever loved as a child! Its like a combination of lemon sherbert and those Love Heart sweets.

Seanik Shampoo Bar - £5.50 - BUY

I actually mentioned here about wanting to try the Shampoo bar after my boyfriend bought one and actually recommended them to me HA! Although I'll admit I havent tried it yet, but I've been reassured if I don't like it, he'll take this one off my hands!

Ark

Ark for me has always been one of those shops I didnt really venture too until I was at uni. Its affordable (although some of the brands are cheaper labels at higher prices) and always got that touch of alternative style which its more my thing. The downside is alot of their sizes are quite misleading as they stock a variety of labels so you need to try them on!
I'm a size 12/14 and I'd like to expect I fit in a size Large so when I don't, I do question the sizing slightly.

However, I did buy these babes..
Red Tarten Skater Dress - £12 - BUY
As mentioned, being a slightly bigger girl skater dresses are an absolute godsend so I couldnt resist this!

Pug Wash Bag - £14.99 - BUY
Okay, I'll admit perhaps a tad too much money but LOOK AT ITS FACE!!!  I mentioned all about our Jug Winstom the other week (here) so although he's only half pug, I can't resist anything that looks like him! I also got the mini purse version for Christmas so I've almost got the whole set now!

We're going on holiday in 2 weeks so I intend to take this with us!

Topshop

Lip Bullet in There She Goes - £8 - BUY

I've tried a few bits from Topshops make up range and I've been suitably impressed with a lot of it and I've heard great things about the lip bullets. This shade is pretty nude meets a light coral. I want to try start wearing more lipsticks but I don't want to stand out at work so I'm trying I opt for more neutrals tones.

New Look

Black and White Cami - £12.99 - BUY

I've been eyeing this up for a few weeks so finally bought it as a summer addition. They also do it in a pink and a blue so theres plenty of choice.

Black Skort - £17.99 - BUY
This year I want to have key pieces in my wardrobe that are not only great as go-to items but also on trend. I wasn't going to get these originally but I know how big they're going to be huge this year! Plus I'm gonna try get them into my work uniform when I can ;)

Boots 

Real Techniques - Foundation Brush - £9.99 - BUY

Real Techniques - Blush Brush - £9.99 - BUY

Boots No7 - Lash and Brow Pro - £8.00 - BUY

I  actually didn't intend to buy these. Honest. I originally only wanted a spoolie as my old horrid eyebrow brush got melted in the sun (I might post about this issue I have one day) but I saw the 3for2 offer in Boots and couldn't resist. I've finally become a Real techniques girl! 

Urban Decay Naked Basic Palette - £22 - BUY

Who hasn't got one of these in the blogger world by now?!  I've decided to just start on the basic palette rather than forking out £37 on one of the other Naked sets just yet. I'm actually more excited to teach myself the looks I can create with this!

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick in Shade 8: Pink in Confidence-  £25 - BUY

My complete splurge of the year so far but my god I love it. The best part of working in a shopping centre means I get to use my lunch breaks as testers a lot of the time to look round products and  actually give them enough thought before buying and I've been eyeing up the YSL counter for far too long.

Have you had guilty shopping sprees lately or tried any of these products?

xXx

OOTD: Money To Burn

This title is a little deceiving as although I may have gone a bit crazy shopping today, I'm not made of money! (Haul coming tomorrow)

Since graduating uni in July, I havent been able to see my friend, Lyndsey as much as I'd like and today she finally came down to see me!!
If there's one thing we're good at its shopping (which you'll see tomorrow) and I decided to take the chance to actually dress quite nice!

If you read my blog, you'll have recently seen my New Look Haul (here) so I took the oppotunity to get it out of my wardrobe and finally out into my social life!!

(sorry for the photo quality - my boyfriend had gone out when I remembered to take photos so I've been lazy with them today)

The Look

Leather Look Waterfall Jacket - New Look - £34.99 - BUY
Black Dress - New Look - £19.99 - BUY
Gold Tribal Style Necklace - New Look - £7.99 - BUY
Gold Spike Ring - Primark - Christmas Present
Barry M Berry Cosmic Nail Varnish - £2.99 - BUY
Cut Out Buckle Boots - £19.99 - Redbox, Derby

Whats your go-to shopping outfit??

xXx

New Look // Shopping Haul

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!

I've decided to not mention Valentines related stuff today mainly because I'm not actually spending the day with him today as he's at work and its my day off. We actually 'celebrated' on Wednesday with a cheeky Nandos. I'm going to post the outfit I wore this weekend at some point but I've been quite behind so instead you're going to have a Valentines infused weekend I'm afraid from me.

I've picked up a few bits this week which mainly consist of New Look items, I've become obsessed with that shop!! Its so affordable and I find it really easy to browse without feeling like theres just too much to look at which is often how I feel in the larger Topshop stores.

I think this is a weeks worth of bits I've picked up on my lunches and on Weds when we spend a few pennies on our valentines trip.

Black Dress - £19.99 - New Look - BUY

The link isn't to the exact same dress as mine is a simple button back design but its pretty much identical in style.  The photo makes this look very frumpy but once on it looks so cute, i wore it straight down without anything pulling me in (mainly to hide my curvy bits) but it feels really lightweight so its great for a casual outing or even for a night out.

Tribal Statement Necklace - £7.99 - New Look - BUY

I mentioned this necklace in my post the other day (here) to brighten up the black dress. I adore gold on black, I usually do this in the way of studs/spikes/skulls so I love the tribal pattern in this necklace.  It's over stated but not OTT so I don't feel like I'm making too much of an effort.

Leather Look Waterfall Jacket - New Look - £34.99 - BUY

This isn't the sort of jacket I normally opt for, infact, I never opt for jackets. I've always been quite an American Apparel hoodie girl so to venture out of my comfort zone is unlike me. I spent a good few trips in New Look debating weather or not I like this and with the help from the boyfriend, he said it looked good and tah dah, I own it now!

Seude Look Coat - New Look - Was £49.99 Now £25

I know I posted about this the other day (here) but I thought it was worth another haul mention. I've still not sewn it up btw but I need to asap as I plan on taking this on holiday with me in a few weeks time. Its so cosy and warm which is a big plus point with the horrendous weather we're suffering from currently.

Loreal Ever Riche Masque Spray - Boots - £6.99 - BUY 

 I bought this from a recommendation from a fellow blogger as I'm suffering from terrible hair at the moment. This masque is designed to be used as part of a standard hair wash so I'm hoping I'll start to put it in my routine. I'm excited to give this a go and will give it a review soon!

Winnie the Pooh Cushion - The Disney Store - £16 - BUY

Anyone who knows me, knows my obsession with all things Disney. As part of our valentines trip my boyfriend bought me this. Our house is full of this big face cushions we also own Nemo, Mike, Sulley, Simba and Tigger! I reallly want Marie from The Arisocats but they don't have it on sale at the moment! :(

Smooth and Shine Hairbrush - Boots - £7.99

If theres anything I hate most its buying lifes boring essentials. Spending £8 on a hairbrush to me is so painful when I could buy something pretty instead. I've shamefully spent far too long without a new brush so it was much needed

Ultimate Shine Shampoo Bar - Lush - £5.50  -BUY

Okay, I won't lie, this is actually my boyfriend product as I've never tried shampoo bars before and I'm always so picky over shampoos etc due to so many haircare problems in the past. However,I'm gonna give this a cheeky try this week as I smelt one I adored in the store so I'm hoping if all goes well I have a good excuse to go buy the one I want.

Have you had any shopping splurges lately? Or if you can give me any recommendations on Lushs' shampoo bars I'd love it!!?

xXx

Girl Meets: Statement Necklaces

Every month I'm going to try make an effort to push myself into a fashion piece I've not delved into / I'm adament I think I look silly in.

With the approach of Valentines day coming my way, I decided to opt for a new LBD (coming later this week) but when I tried it on, I felt slightly lacking that bit of something...enter my confidence to try a statement necklace.

I have a ridiculous amount of necklaces but minus one (that i never wear surprise surprise) they are long with one pendant and as I rarely wear just 1 plain colour, Necklaces always look a bit stupid with my outfits so in fairness, a statement piece is just something I don't feel the need for / I don't what actually looks okay.

But now this fear is finally being tackled (and I seem to have fallen in love with every statement necklace I've seen). The ones featured here arent all ones I'd buy personally but I think its good to show a variety because if I had my way you'd just have a page of gold plated necklaces.

1) First up comes this beautiful embelished piece from Topshop for £12.50 - BUY. The colours are great for up and coming SS season and would look so nice for both day and night wear.

2) HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THIS!! I'm not usually a pastel kinda girl but this is so cute. If I could pull off Peter Pan collars I would so put this popping out from under one. I found this on ASOS.com from the brand Johnny Loves Rosie, its quite ridiculous how much I want this in my life. You can view it on the site HERE but at £26 I don't think I can buy it just yet :(

 3) If I havent mentioned this store enough this week, I spotted this gem in New Look today and I am so so tempted to get it. At only £7.99 its an absolute steal and I won't feel as guilty if it doesnt get worn as much as it should! The tribal pattern still gives it enough of an impact without it being too boring. So far (mainly for my bank accounts sake) this may be the necklace of choice. You can see it on the site HERE

4) If theres one shop I always feel abit sorry for, its Miss Selfridge, It never seems to get the high street impact it deserves. Mainly because its Arcadia sister Topshop always steals her limelight when in actual fact they sell pretty much the exact same stuff. I spied this super cute daisy chain necklace - BUY - in their Debenhams concession stand and thought it was adorable. I then saw it in Topshop 5 minutes later. Theres also a matching bracelet for this so it'd make a great add on to a wedding outfit this year!!

5) Given this is a necklace post, I thought Acessorize would be the most obvious place to go. I'm usually a huge fan of what they have to offer and even when I saw they had a 'statement necklace' section, I thought I was asking for trouble but to be honest, I'm a bit dissapointed with what they have on offer. This piece isnt personally for me as I'm not into too much sparkle and at £29, I think unless this is for maybe a prom dress, its not worth the hefty price tag. You can always get a better look HERE and check out the others on offer.

6) Shall we just all take a second to forget about everything else I've mentioned and just awe at this beauty! I get its not complete 'statement' but I think a pearl chain with a sparkly orb is bound to get some attention, Its just so pretty and for a Vivienne Westwood piece, £95 isn't a ridiculous price. If you happen to have the money feel free to buy me on HERE.

Pet Vs Clothing

In the house I share with my boyfriend and that face up there AKA Winston the Jug, I'm extremely lucky that I have my own dressing room. Technically it's the 3rd bedroom but its my little beauty hub full of all my things.

New Look Sale -Was £49.99 Now £25 - Not Online.
On Saturday I bought a beautifulllll new coat from New Look in the sale, I don't know if its my love for vintage style find or maybe all the Only Fools and Horses we've been watching but I now refer to this as my 'Del Boy' coat. (One day I'll be cool, I promise)

After getting this home Saturday I put it in my room where it belongs....jump to Sunday when my boyfriend came to pick me up from work..we got home and to my surprise our house (which we dog-proof before we leave) was spotless...until I went upstairs found our dog Winston had been in my room and thought my new coat was clearly a new toy and chewed all but 1 button off it!!

Now, as you can see, Winstons face is ridiculously cute and it's hard to get overly angry at him and to be honest, I knew the lack of a button OR 4 wasn't the worst case scenerio.

Needless to say I wasn't thrilled, but I made it my mission to find some new buttons yesterday on my lunch. After walking to Pikes the haberdashery shop in Derby Market, I was super happy to find the EXACT same buttons!

So now to put my sewing skills to good use. ...

I will be posting the coat again in my New Look Haul later this week, and I'm sorry this post isn't thrilling but I'm hoping Winstons face makes up for it.

Have you had any Pet Vs Clothing mishaps?

xXx