Autumn shopping- cranberry obsession

Gearing up for the wind and rain, my day off was spent on the high street looking for some warmer clothes and other reasons to spend. In H&M, this cranberry/ purple lace skirt caught my eye. Perfect for a night out or meal, even with tights in the winter, I just loved the detail. Then came a thin blue duster coat that was actually in the sale! A coat in the sale before winter?! My £15 bargain was going to be well used as I'd been needing something thinner just as an extra layer.

 I then went to Matalan to use up what's left of my student discount days :( so sad I know. I found a black jumpsuit for £20, that's perfect for colder nights out or when I can't be bothered to tan my legs (we all have those days). Chunky jewellery and big hair is the look I'll be attempting with this, to make it more of a statement outfit. I couldn't find it on their website though, but I'm sure I'll blog about the outfit.

Now anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for anything cranberry coloured. I love the colour for Winter, well I love it all year really but I think I could now make a whole outfit from what I own in this colour; including heels and lipstick. You just can't say no to a bit of cranberry. Although, this shopping trip turned my favourite colour into more of a dark cranberry/ purple hue, but I'm not complaining, I love it! I walk into Dorothy Perkins and there on the shelf is this gorgeous cranberry/ purple clutch bag. I was won over when I realised it came with a strap as well, two types of bag for the price of one (£16).

Next was on the list for some heels, but that plan failed and I ended up with a bottle of Just Pink perfume and some earrings for my graduation outfit (that's tomorrow!). I love having a little bottle of Just Pink as it's my go-to handbag perfume, being a light enough scent for everyday wear and a handbag friendly size. 

After getting my nails done I wandered into boots to stock up on my ever growing nail varnish collection. After opening my manicure box the other day, I realised I have a problem and that half of them need binning. I think I'll do a blog on beauty sell by dates just to make sure no one else gets stuck with a glupey nail varnish when they really need it. Anyway, I walked over to Rimmel and picked up their 60 second nail polishes in '320 Rapid Ruby' and '500 Caramel Cupcake'. I also bought the Rimmel Nail Nurse base coat for when these acrylics come off and I have no nails left. Spending over £10 I got the Lash Accelerator Endless mascara for free! I'm going to see how it competes with the Benefit They're Real, which has been my favourite since it first came out.

 One thing that bugged me in Boots though was the fact that their 3 for 2 Christmas gift sets are already out! I was waiting forever to be served because of the queue of women buying Christmas presents THREE months early. Come on people, it's a bit early isn't it.

Obsession of the week- Zara skirt

So I was up at the Metro Centre the other day and happened to walk into Zara. I'd never really liked shopping in the store because it was always such a mess and unorganised that I could never be bothered looking through it! Two floors of make up stained dresses, piles of jumpers and tops on tables, with half broken necklaces and shoes scattered everywhere. I braved it though, for the gorgeous clothes that I've seen online this season. With nothing looking right in the changing rooms, I'd given up on the brand; until I spotted this little beauty on a random t-shirt rail. I could picture it with every top I owned, with tights and boots for the colder days; I knew I had to have it. After a five minute search, a sales assistant spotted one in my size and I ran straight to the till with a spring in my step; only to queue for another ten. 

The great thing about monochromatic items is that you can dress them to suit your style. Go the whole way with a black t-shirt and cardi for a meal out, or a simple white shirt for a fresh office look. I chose to mix with colour though, adding this mustard t-shirt to add a lighter touch to a wintery outfit. It was freezing this day so I wasn't  going to get my legs out, but I think it would work really well in the Summer as well with tanned legs and black or colourful heels! 

But it here: http://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/skirts/jacquard-mini-skirt-c269188p2214009.html

Drinking tea and burning incense

I spent most of yesterday sipping on tea and eating till my hearts content. It was bliss. I took my sister  out for lunch (she's the biggest tea drinker around) and to find a candle shop I'd been meaning to go in. The Yankee Christmas scents were in and I couldn't stop myself from smelling every single one. It got me so excited for jumpers and scarves, even though I was wearing sunglasses.

On her third cup

I stopped myself from buying any scent that reminded me of winter though, as that collection was already building up in my drawer and I wanted to enjoy the warmer weather while it was still around.  Near the candle shop was my local Boyes store. Now I love going in and pretending to be all crafty, wanting to buy material and beads, but having nothing to make. I sometimes go in for skincare products that are pretty cheap or if I fancy some glue on nails for a night out; but this time I found incense sticks! Now I love these, so much so, that I was close to tears when I lost my wooden holder and ended up improvising with a small pen box. At £1.29 I ended up buying two sets of sticks Exotic and Erotic (sounds weird but they smell amazing) and went home to find a holder on Ebay.  Whilst in Boyes though, I found that they sold a few Sally Hansen gel nail colours for £1.99! I know gel takes a lot longer to put on than regular polish and I can never manage to keep it neat for two weeks, but I loved this colour (Griege) and wanted to try it out. I'll put it on as soon as I can but here's some photo's of what I bought...

With the warm weather, I decided to wear a dress with a cut out back and team it with a white strappy crop top I got from Ebay. I thought they'd look really cool under razor back tops and dresses and by themselves with shorts or skirts on holiday. Here's the link to them and I'll put a photo up soon. 

Black halter crop top: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281407217759?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&var=580434165379&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

White  and black caged back crop tops:  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261556421138?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&var=560430372169&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Emily x

Obsession of the week- Temple Spa

Temple Spa for those who have never heard of it, is a brand that sells gorgeous Mediterranean based skin care products that are used in spas and sold in exclusive shops like Harrods. I was invited to a Temple Spa party a few months back, where you get your girls round a table and try the products for free; giving yourself a mini facial and basically having a relaxing night in. You instantly fall in love with the smells and the textures of the products, it's all round luxury in the comfort of your own home! I've since been to a few parties and stocked up on my favourite products, like the Toning Essence and Dual Act cleanser. In fact,  I've loved it that much that I've decided to become a consultant! Crazy!

It's not all mine! I just love the excitement when the box arrives!

This little saying comes on the lid of the packages, how cute!

Obsession of the week- Naked shampoo and shopping for Autumn!

Going shopping with no real purpose always amounts to buying products with no actual need or want for them and this is usually what gives shopping a bad name! Today though, I went into town and ended up with some great Autumn pieces. Primark had started filtering in jumpers and other wooly, fluffy things into the isles and I couldn't help but pick up a big black floppy hat and huge tartan scarf. The bonus was that it was double sided with a houndstooth print on the other side! I'd been after a large scarf to act as a shawl for chillier days and always wanted to try out a big hat because they always look so good! Knowing that I have actually been wanting these items made me feel better about buying them and couldn't wait for it to get colder to try them. 

After Primark came TK Maxx, where I'd noticed they sold the Eco Tools 6 piece starter brush set for £9.99, which was cheaper than the £16 I'd seen in Boots. After needing an eyelash brush and concealer brush for a long time, it was the best bargain of the day. They also sell Real Techniques brushes at a discounted price too! I also thought I'd try out the 'concrete effect' with Nails inc's Concrete nail polish in 'London Wall'. It was strange at first but it gives a cool looking texture and it's always good to try out something different. 

I picked up some Natural collection favourites in Boots, with the eyeshadow duo in 'Mocha/ Latte' which I'd ran out of, a solo eyeshadow in 'Asteroid' and my favourite lip liner in 'Almond' (it's honestly the best shade I've ever found). I think you can never go wrong with Natural Collection, the products are simple, they're neutral colours and at three for £5, it's a student's dream!

In Superdrug, I decided to buy a velvet lip lacquer from MUA. I'd had one from Sleek in a bright pink and never dared wear it but the finish was amazing. For £3 I bought the shade 'Tranquility' which gave a lovely nudey brown colour to my lips, but was quite drying and cracked easily. I also bought an eyeliner from them in 'Snow White' to help create wider eyes using it on your lower lid line. 

I then spotted Herbal Essences Clearly Naked shampoo and conditioner. I've been using the L'oreal EverStrong shampoo and conditioner that's free from sulphates that can cause build up and other hair problems. It's basically the ingredient that causes the shampoo to lather and foam up but it's been known to strip the hair and scalp more than it needs to. They have been a saviour to my hair, but at £5.99 each, it was more of a treat and didn't know whether to spend that again. This is when I came across the Herbal Essences range that saved my hair dilemma. It smells amazingly fresh, has no parabens, colourant or silicone and at £1.99 has prevented me from splurging. This, ladies and gents, is why it's this weeks obsession... and probably will be for as long as it lasts. 

Emily x

Monday's beauty brag- Soap & Glory

Sooo I really wanted to find a good nudey/ natural lip liner and came across Marvelips! double ended lip crayon from Soap and Glory. As I found it in Boots, it was on an offer of buy one get on half price! Naturally, I had to accept (sucker for an offer) and bought the Sexy Mother Pucker clear lip plumping gloss. I love the fact it comes in packaging, it just makes it that bit more special, or is that just me? As a review though, the crayon is brill! The colour is slightly darker than my lips but with a slick of lipstick it works perfectly. The white end is used in the middle of your lips to give more definition and for trick of the light fullness. It feels lovely, looks lovely and actually lasts! Its much more creamier than other pencils which I find is better as it doesn't dry out your lips. Now for the lip gloss. I've never been a lip gloss person, the stickiness, catching all your hair; it's not exactly a love of mine. However, I wanted to try a lip plumper so when I saw this next to the lip crayon, I thought 'why not?'. I've realised that it needs to be liberally applied to actually feel tingly and can make my lips look slightly fuller (and I say slightly) for all of ten minutes. Due the typical lip gloss feel though it's not something I'm obsessed with and probably won't use often. 

With that said, Monday's beauty brag is all about the Marvelips crayon and a tip to make your lips fuller with it is to use the liner just outside of your lip line, to give better definition! Hope this helps on your search for beautiful lips!

Emily x