Summer Haulin'

Summer is definitely my favourite season; I am one of those people whose mood is instantly brightened when the sun is shining. The clothes may also be a factor for my love of all things summer as your outfits aren't always hidden under your one winter coat. The colourful clothes in the shops are just that bit more enticing and so over the past few months I may have done just a litttttle bit of shopping.

I generally find River Island a bit hit and miss; their clothes often have a very distinct style which I tend not to like. However, saying that, I have been loving their clothes this summer and have to restrain myself in order to prevent maxing out my overdraft! As said in my Weekend Wishlist post  I am loving palm prints at the moment and these first two items are what started this love affair.

Palm Print Blazer - River Island (not on their website anymore but it is on sale on ASOS for £36)
Palm Print Skirt - River Island, £25 (can't find it on RI website but it is available on ASOS)
Shorts - River Island, £20 (not available anymore, but similar style here and here)




With birthday money (and the American Apparel voucher from Christmas) I went a little overboard on the tops front. I have really been loving all the neon yellow/lime green tops in the shops recently however, I don't think it suits my skin tone that well. The first t-shirt is a perfect way to pull off the neon trend as the grey background tones it down a little. I was struggling with what to buy with the AA voucher because it was worth £34 and as you may know AA is pretty pricey in England. However, I saw Laura Whitmore wearing this crop top a while ago when presenting I'm A Celeb...Get Me Out Of Here and had loved it then so, when I saw this still in the shops I snapped it up, and it's palm print, double bonus! The final two basic tops are to go with the palm print skirt and the yellow crop top also goes really well with the shorts.

Grey Lace Overlay Tee - Miss Selfridge, £20
Jungle Leaves Crop Top - American Apparel, £24
Blue Vest - H&M, about £6 (similar here)
High Neck Ribbed Crop Top - River Island, £10 (Yellow not online but this is the style)

Again, as said in my Weekend Wishlist, I have been in desperate need of a new pair of sandals as the sole of my previous pair of tan gladiator style sandals is flapping off despite my attempts at super gluing them back to life.

Metal Look Hardware Sandals - Next, £30.

I learnt last year that you cannot buy bikinis in summer - there will be none left. This year I started my summer shopping earlier and managed to nab these around May time, however they do still seem to be available online and so maybe in the shops as well.

Blue Twist Front Bandeau Bikini Top - Warehouse, £12
Blue Ruch Side Bikini Bottoms - Warehouse, £10
Apricot Lace Covered Bikini Top - H&M, £12.99
Apricot Lace Tie Side Bikini Bottoms - H&M, £7.99

I would say that's the end of my summer shopping for this year, however I did a bit of shopping whilst in California, but when in Rome right?

Summer Loving: Bodycare

I have my facial skincare routine down to a tee, even after a night out I remember to cleanse, tone and moisturise. The same cannot be said for the rest of my body which doesn't receive as much attention. However, in the summer months I tend to get a boost of motivation and up the ante to make sure my other limbs are beach ready. I'm a frequent visitor to the aisles of boots (lame, I know) and I recently saw this new 'Oil Beauty' line by Garnier. I was initially intrigued by the Ultimate Beauty Oil for the body however that was a bit too far out of my comfort zone and was worried I'd look like I rolled right out of the 80s so I stuck to the standard moisturiser and an exfoliator.

All the products from this range are infused with with 4 oils: argan, macadamia, almond and rose and let me tell you straightaway, the result is wonderful. First off, the smell of this range is incredible; I won't try and describe it (I'm guessing it's the almond and rose mix) but I would recommend you give it a sniff next time you're in Boots. The scent also lasts for hours on the body; I applied the mosituriser at about 10am and by 10pm I could still smell it on me.

The exfoliator contains cupuaça seeds and is one of the rougher scrubs I've tried so I would suggest using this on its own as opposed to with an exfoliating mitt. However, it does the job and you can already feel how smooth your skin feels as you rinse it off. The oil infusion also moisturises the skin without leaving an oily residue and used in conjunction with the moisturiser leaves your skin feeling incredibly nourished. The moisturiser is quite thin and lightweight (not runny but just not as thick as something like Palmer's Cocoa Butter) and therefore sinks in really fast, so none of that standing around for half an hour starkers worrying that the postman could come any minute.

Overall, I would highly recommend these products and I am slightly tempted to go back and pick up the oil if the results of these two are anything to go by. You can pick these products up from Boots; the Oil Infused Nourishing Lotion is £4.99 for 250ml and the Oil Infused Nourish Scrub is £7.15 for 200ml. I would keep a look at though for the regular deals Boots offers as I paid about half price for these products.

L'Oréal Bi-Phase Eye Makeup Remover

I had heard big things about this bi-phase eye makeup remover. It's supposed to be akin to the blogosphere famous Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover, however I can't bring myself to justify spending around £16 on just an eye makeup remover. This L'Oréal version doesn't break the bank (£5.49 from Superdrug) and so I thought it would be a good place to test the waters with these bi-phase solutions. The blue layer on the top contains gentle oils which help to dissolve all traces of makeup including waterproof mascara and the clear layer is a simple soft lotion to leave skin fresh. The two layers should be shaken up to blend together the two solutions before applying to the eyes.

I can't make a comparison between the Clarins and L'Oréal offerings but I am very impressed with L'Oreal's version. Beforehand I had been using a variety of different standard single solution eye makeup removers however I tended to wake up and still find a small amount of black smudged around my eyes. This dual solution on the other hand ensures all traces of mascara and eyeliner are completely removed and I have stopped waking up looking like a panda. I have slightly sensitive eyes and am a contact lens wearer and have had no problems with irritation. However, although it claims to be non greasy I do find there is a slight residue left behind but I tend to use this before cleansing so any greasiness is removed with that step in my routine.

Weekend Wishlist #1

I definitely do not need to go shopping after a few very spendy months (I blame exams), however I cannot help but scour the sites and pick out some great summer pieces (just in my head, I promise!). 

1) Palm Bandeau Skort Playsuit, £48 from Topshop. I'm having a palm print moment currently as you'll see from an upcoming haul. This playsuit would be ideal for a holiday and the green would complement a tan perfectly. It also comes in both tall and petite versions which is handy.

2) Floral Duster Jacket, £39 from Miss Selfridge. Kimonos are the perfect addition to your wardrobe especially for our English summers which don't always get too hot or for a summer's night abroad. This would look perfect with a coral cami top, light wash denim jeans/shorts and some tan brown wedges.

3) Blue Leopard Tribal Print Split Maxi Dress, £40 from River Island. RI has really been hitting the nail on the head this summer and this maxi dress is no exception. I'm not amazingly tall (about 5"9), but I do tend to find a lot of dresses are a bit too short if I want to keep some dignity, especially with summer dresses and so I have been swaying towards maxi dresses. This one is very glamorous with slits on both sides and the back is plain black so as not to be too overwhelming.

4) Simone Fine Cateye Sunglasses, £16 from Topshop. I find sunglasses to suit my face shape (think perfect circle) very hard to find and have hence had the same pair for about 6 years so I am definitely on the lookout for a new pair. After recently trying on a similar shape pair I think the cat-eye shape may be my go to as the angular sides draw my face up a bit and the tortoise shell finish is a bit softer against my skin tone. These pair are also reminiscent of a certain Prada pair but of course lot cheaper - I may be breaking my spending ban for these!

5) L'Oréal Professionnel Solar Sublime Advanced Protection Conditioning Spray, £11.05 from FeelUnique. Everyone is well aware of the importance of applying sunscreen to your face and body however many forget about protecting your hair. The sun can be very drying to your hair and can fade coloured hair so it is important to use a UV protection spray to help combat these effects. I will be heading over to California for 2 weeks soon and so will definitely be picking one of these up as I not only have coloured hair (although slowly returning back to my natural darker colour after a year and a half of highlighted hair) but use curlers and straighteners so damage my hair enough as it is!

6) Multi Jewelled Colourful Sandal, £30 from Warehouse. I saw these sandals hanging up whilst walking through House of Fraser (a Warehouse stockist) and was instantly drawn to the coloured gems. The embellishment colour and pattern reminded me of something by Shourouk however at a fraction of the price and it was definitely hard for me to leave them behind. The colours just scream a Caribbean holiday and would look amazing against tanned legs.

Holy Grail: Mascara

(Excuse the creepy eye shot!) 
I received my first tube of the Benefit They're Real Mascara for my 19th Birthday and I haven't looked back since. I can totally understand why this is the UK's number 1 mascara; it lengthens like no other mascara and adds volume without being clumpy. What else do you want from a mascara?! I remember when I first put this on after my 19th birthday and was shocked when I could feel my eyelashes tickling my brow bone and I went to show the results to my house mate immediately! The one tiny downside to this mascara is that it is a bit of a pain to get off and so you will need a good eye makeup remover (reviews of a couple to follow).

The price has gone up a bit since it was first launched (£19.50 from Boots) however I will still continue to repurchase this unless another mascara enters the beauty world promising better results - now that's a challenge.

The Big 2-1!

I recently turned 21, however there was no big birthday bash for me as my birthday fell in the middle of my final University exams. Although this may have worked in my favour as I did end up getting a litttttle bit spoilt by friends and family!

My parents came down to Bristol for the day despite my demands for them not to as I had the best intentions to spend the day revising, however I am so glad they did as we ended up going to Harvey Nichols for a fancy lunch and they brought along some pressies for me to open.

I have been using the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser for about 5 years now after being first introduced to it by my mum so she definitely knows my love for it!  This one is a limited edition Orange Flower and Chamomile version which I can't wait to try because, despite being used to the original scent now so much that I don't even notice it, the original scent isn't to everyone's taste.
The Smashbox Try It Kit includes mini versions of the infamous Photo Finish Foundation Primer, Photo Finish Lid Primer, Full Exposure Mascara, Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx and Lip Enhancing Gloss in the shade Illume. This will be absolutely perfect as I about to go on holiday and really need to downsize my makeup bag a bit if I'm to be within the 20Kg limit!
I'd read lots about the Soap & Glory 'Glow Job' and was definitely keen to try out this tinted face moisturiser with instant wash off self tanner in it because although I tend to tan easily on my body, my face will always stay as pasty as ever!

My mum knows I'm a big fan of statement jewellery and so I was completely spoilt with these Swarovski gifts. The  'Meringue Pierced Earrings' are rhodium plated with a deep blue Montana crystal which are absolutely stunning, although perhaps a little too sophisticated for the type of events I attend, but I will definitely be storing these away to wear to the first classy event I get invited to!
The 'Airy Necklace' is also absolutely stunning and I cannot wait to wear it! The fringing is mixed metal and so will go with nearly everything as well. Swarovski describes this necklace as an 'urban tribal look with a feminine twist' which I think is spot on as the small crystals bring back that dainty 'pretty' feel.

My brother got me the standard DVD (this year it was the 2nd Hunger Games movie) and also this amazing pink and aqua crystal flower statement necklace from Next and a set of pearl earrings in a gradient of colours also from Next.

My best friend also completely spoiled me and they were such thoughtful gifts as I have been wanting these for so long! The Nails Inc. box is from the Couture section where you can personalise the bottle and the box and choose the shade. Laura (found here) picked Porchester Square, which I have been wanting for as long as I can remember, and is a gorgeous sophisticated mushroom shade.
Laura also got me the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette which I squealed in excitement when opening! This palette is slightly more cool toned than the first, containing taupe and greige natural toned shades. Of course this is absolutely gorgeous and I have been using it at every opportunity I get. My favourite shades so far are Half Baked, Tease, Snakebite and YDK.

I had a lovely Birthday and a biggggg thank you to everyone who made it special :)

Summer Loving: Fragrance

This perfume is summer in a bottle. That is all there is to say about this scent; you take one whiff and you're on a beach drinking out of a coconut, the sun shining down on you with the blue ocean lapping at your feet. Estée Lauder describes Bronze Goddess as  'A sensuous, sun drenched blend of Bergamot, warm Amber, Tiare Flower and Vanilla combined with delicious creamy coconut'. To me it smells of some form of sun cream/coconutty combination in the best way possible. I was spraying this all throughout exam season to try and fool myself that I was in the Maldives as opposed to my dull room with a pile of never-ending revision notes.

This perfume only gets released in the summer so I totally recommend picking it up while it's still in the shops, although it already appears to be out of stock online on Debenhams however House of Fraser still has some here.