Mid-week mini haul!

Hi everyone. If you follow my blog or Youtube channel you'll know I love a good haul (a haul being where you reveal what you've been buying) and here's another! All be it mini.

Like many, I love to shop and will often take myself on random retail therapy sessions! It still feels a bit naughty to be out and about on say a Monday afternoon or a Thursday morning enjoying myself whilst others are at work. My typical week has so drastically changed since I left teaching full-time.

Anyhow, sometimes, just sometimes, I get bored of my own company (sarcasm detected) so I was thrilled when one of my best friends said that she had this week off work. YES! Someone to shop with me! 

So on Wednesday me and Gina naturally decided to indulge in a bit of retail therapy in Nottingham. We of course started our shopping trip with a Nando's. You just have to! :) Standard. 

Here's me literally bursting with excitement over anticipated chicken!!! :D

After demolishing our Nando's and adjusting my waistbelt...we hit the shops!

I cannot remember a running order so I'll just talk about my purchases from left to right of the haul picture...

Katie Piper's Beautiful Ever after. I have so so much admiration for this girl! She is truly one of the bravest people I've ever witnessed and I find her very inspirational. I loved her first book, despite it being a true tear-jerker and I'm sure this one will be just as great. WHSmith's were doing a offer where if you bought any magazine you could get the book for £2.99. Gina was buying a magazine anyway and so I simply couldn't resist :) 

Cotton pads and wash cloths. I actually bought 3x cotton pads and 2 wash cloths (pink and cream) for the above reason. I'm giving friends/family/local people the chance to try some of our great skincare products for a few days in the form of this Pamper Box. <3

Elemis Tan Accelerator. I've talked about this product many times and it's been a favourite of mine for around 5 years now. It does as it says and accelerates a tan like nobodies business! Also helps prevent prickly heat and sunburn. And have I mentioned it's scent?! Wow does this smell good! I purchased mine from John Lewis and a offer in store meant it was £20.70. It's usually not far off that pricemark anyway.

Plasters. How exciting! I've been trying to get my feet used to dolly shoes and the likes again now that summer's approaching. They do the job. Boots £1.79. Bargain.

White pumps. I wasn't actually planning to buy any shoes but whilst at the till in Select I happened to see these on the side. My feet are pretty delicate so the first thing I do when looking at shoes is feel the back of the heel to see if they are soft. These particular pumps felt amazing and I could tell they'd be a comfy wear. As luck would have it they had my size out of the only two pairs left in the store...I took this as a sign. They were also only £10.99.

Black leggings. You can never have too many black leggings right? Well recently my collection had dwindled down to one pair! So I had this purchase in mind from the start. I find Select ones really good value for money at 2 pairs for £8. 

The Veronica's new album. Although not pictured, I also bought this CD. This purchase was actually for my Dad. He loves the song 'You ruin me', as do I actually, and I planned to get him the album for his birthday way back in January! It was only recently released so it's been quite a wait...but finally got it! :)

As I said, it was just a mini haul! Hope you've all been having a great week too!

x

Merry Christmas!

Hi everyone! Hope Santa was good to you! :D 

So, every year I hum and ahh about doing a Christmas 'haul' because of the mixed response but I love watching or reading others', so here is mine! I've been quite select on what I've included and you'll be pleased to know I've stuck to main presents and not bothered to include the many stocking fillers I received. As lovely as a bottle of Avacat is or as cosy as my slipper socks are I'm not sure they are all that interesting :)

So I'll begin with perhaps my favourite. This year I asked my parents for yet another Pandora related present. The new Essence Collection. Not only is the bracelet really pretty, it has a special meaning. My personal team in my business is called the Essence Group. When I heard about this Collection I felt it was so fitting! 

As for the charms, they all carry meaning. I LOVE anything with a meaning or motto behind it. The pink charm is called Passion and is the one I picked out with my Mum. It says do the things you're passionate about and that interest you.

The other 2 charms were a lovely surprise. The purple stands for Faith. It reminds me to have just that in myself. The silver detailed charm is Health. Very apt considering my business is in the Health and Wellness industry. Also a nice reminder to maintain my fitness and strive to be healthier.

I see a theme here! I love Pandora and I was also treated to 2 gorgeous charms for my main bracelet. My best friend Gina got me the beautiful Angel charm. It's very pretty and I like to think of it as a guardian angel. 

Mr. gingerbreadman was a gift from my parents. I'd been after this cute little guy for a while and my Mum knew this. She surprised me with it but gave me a big clue as the pandora bag also had the gingerbread teddy decoration inside!

Now my haul wouldn't be complete without some form of makeup now would it! Benefit is possibly my favourite brand. It was hard to get one of these sets and online the price was doubled once they sold-out...sorry Dad :P There wasn't much surprise when it came to this as I did send him a link to buy it haha but...well worth it! The blushes are divine! I have a big Rockateur blush already and use it all the time so I'm excited to try out the others, along with the famous bronzer!

If you know me or have been reading for a while, you'll know I'm a big kid and no Christmas would be complete without some form of gadget/toy! I really didn't know much about the Fitbug when I steered my Dad is its direction but I thought the concept of monitoring sleep was very novel! Indeed it really does work! :) It also has many other functions such as recording steps taken. It's safe to say I have barely moved since Christmas! :P

Keeping with the gadget theme...I also got a hand blender! I made a lovely banana shake this morning for breakfast and was super impressed. I half expected covering the kitchen in liquid and mashed up fruit but it was all very successful! I'm really not a fan of actual food before 10am so the idea is that I'll use my Forever lite Ultra which is a fantastic meal replacement, mixed with different fruit to keep them interesting as breakfast on work days. Sorted!

PJs, slippers and a dressing gown are a given for me every Christmas and my Mum likes to give me and my Sister Jess at least one pair of matching PJs. A photo together in them is fast becoming a tradition! :)

Tunes! Last year I had a iPod for my car. I've been using it all year and love being able to shuffle all my music. However, if you saw my recent posts you'll know I have a new job starting in January. My last school was a 20 minute drive and my car remained on a private car park- so I left my iPod in my car all day. My new job is literally a 5 minute drive and I'll be parking on the street. Rather than messing about plugging my iPod in for sake of a quick drive and them taking it back out when I arrive...I think CDs are the answer. My parents were spot on with their selections...especially Take That's as I'm going to see them on tour again next year! :D Can't wait!

And finally the sea of edibles!...Wow. I didn't bother to gather all the chocolates and sweets I received but trust me I'm swimming in the stuff! Haha. My Mum said I should bite off Santa's head...however if you understood how big that actually is...no, just no! :P

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!

I know I was very lucky in what I received but Christmas really isn't about the things you get, it's who you spend it with that matters...

I had a sleepover with my niece....all I truly wanted for Christmas...

Merry Christmas!

Clothes Show Live, Promotion, My Birthday, Last Day At Work!

Hey! Apologies that I've been a bit quiet recently. Life has been mental. But 100% in the BEST way! So here's a combined post of lots of brilliant things all rolled into one. 

7th December: Clothes Show Live. I love this event at NEC Birmingham and try to go each year. This year I went with my sister. Fabulous fashion show!

And really amazing shopping experience this year. Below are my purchases :D

13th December: Telford Internationale Business Center. Phenomenal day of training and hearing from the top people in the business. I also got recognised for my promotion to Supervisor. 

Later that evening I attended a champagne reception, before getting ready for a Glam Rock Party. A yummy 3 course meal, fantastic party and a nice stay in a nearby hotel. I do love this business lots! 

And at 12:01 that night I turned 25! 

14th December: Happy birthday to me. 

I awoke in the lovely hotel, untangled my back combed hair and headed off for a full English breakfast with some of my favourite people in the business!

At lunch time I met my ex Uni housemates for Xmas dinner. 

I really appreciated the comfy slippers 2 of them bought me, after such a fun weekend in heels! ;)

I also received lots of other nice birthday gifts but have failed on the photo front!

19th December: My last day at work!

It was difficult to say goodbye to the little cuties I've come to care about very much. But I know they'll be fine and it's the right thing for me to be moving on. 

I've never been quite so excited about January before. "New year fresh start" often gets banted about but this time it's true. Things aren't going to the same. I wanted change so badly and now I've made that happen. Here's to celebrating. 

Me and my best friend Gina last night at a Christmas party :) <3

Mini Haul! I couldn't resist :)

Hello! So after what has already quite possibly been the most exciting week EVER... (I'm off to Skegness shortly to see a good friend too yayyy! :) Please see here if you missed my news this week!)...what better way to round it off than with a bit of retail therapy. Well earned retail therapy too! So, with one of my best friends, Gina, I hit the shops! After we had a cheeky Nando's, of course!

In no particular order...below are my purchases!

We rather randomly chose to venture into Pulp. Quite an alternative store but I do have a secret love for their quirky designs, especially their Iron Fist heels! When I saw this handbag, I immediately liked it. I love horror and gore very much and the skeleton design really appealed to me! When I saw the price there was no question, I had to buy it. It feels really soft and the quality is brilliant value for money! I like that it has a variety of zips and compartments inside and I reckon it'll replace my everyday bag (the zip has broken on my current River Island one!). Love it! :)

Next up is one of my holy grail products. I did a review on the Elemis Tan Accelerator a while back, here, and I use it regularly. I get nervous when my tube starts to feel empty and this is possibly something like my 10th bottle! I got my fix from John Lewis. J'adore! 

I didn't mean to buy a candle, honest! :P I blame Gina for taking me into the Yankee Candle store...but as soon as I got a whiff of this gorgeous melon scent...I was at the till paying! It was burning all evening last night and I loved the fragrance...A LOT! Yummy. 

When I heard the Queen of blogging had a range of products out in Superdrug I had to go and have a peek! Yes, I'm a bit behind time but this was literally the first shopping trip I'd been on in ages! I love Zoella. She's such an inspiration in so many ways. I was tempted by all the products but it was the bath fizz bar that I ended up buying. I love how you can break off the pieces like a chocolate bar! I can't wait to pop some into my next bath!

Now, this is a purchase that I set out to make. After doing my Clean9 Detox back in August I've managed to maintain my slim figure. Which is great, but also means that my favourite jeans are a bit loose around my waist! So, I needed to get a belt badly! I purposely chose to buy one from Topshop as they cater well for petite figures :) I really like the flower design and the fact that my jeans will now no longer need pulling up every 2 minutes! Result!

 

And last but not least, Lush. Need I say anymore? Haha! Well actually I was very good indeed because none of it was for me. I bought The Comforter bubble bar (a lovely blackcurrant/ribena selling bar), along with the fab Golden Wonder bath bomb for my Mum's upcoming birthday. This bath bomb is my absolute favourite. It's also only available around Christmas time, so I better stock up soon! I picked up a second Golden Wonder for my Grandma's birthday. Everyone should experience the joys of a Golden Wonder! :) I won't spoil the surprise!

So there we go...I'm not sure of the damage to my Debit card but hey ho...this week was certainly worth celebrating and indulging! :P

Bank Holiday Haul!

Hey guys. So this post is a little later than I had planned but better late than never right?! So, last Bank Holiday (25th August I believe) I took advantage of the rare moment that I actually had free time and hit the shops.

First on my agenda was Topshop. I love their clothes and in particular their jeans or jeggings. 

Whilst browsing the store I came across these black and white patterned leggings. I liked the detail in the design and I thought the zip at the back was a nice addition. In the changing room they fit really nicely and were super soft and comfortable. I am all about comfort and this sold them to me. They cost £28. I've since worn them and they look great teamed with a plain white or black top and leather jacket.

Also from Topshop, I bought these skinny cut ripped style jeans. They were the usual Topshop 'jean price' at £40 and they are again so soft and comfy! I hadn't got any jeans in this shade of denim and the ripped detailing seems to be all the fashion at the moment! :) One thing I will say is Topshop jeans always wash really well and last for a long time.

I then decided to head over to River Island. Whilst browsing I noticed these black trousers. Always on the look out for some good 'school' trousers I thought I'd give them a try on. I sometimes struggle to get formal trousers to fit me, hence I opt for leggings quite often. A lot of the time they're simply too big around my waist and they do that horrible gaping thing at the back. However I found the size 8 fit perfectly and I loved how nice the material felt (sensing a pattern here when it comes to soft and comfortable clothes ey?!) They were £30 which I didn't think was too bad. I wore them one day last week for school and I have a feeling I'll be going back to buy another pair as they wash well and they actually fit me! Love them. Oh, and I like the little RI detailing.

Last but not least, I had a little wander in Primark. I only picked up this one top, not because I didn't find anything else I liked but because I forgot the store was closing early and I ran out of time! I literally got to the till about 10 minutes before it shut! Anyway, I picked out this summery top in the hope that we still get a bit of sun in September! I think it was either £4 or £6 and it was a nice top to wear for school last week...quite 'teachery'! 

So there we go, my mini haul for you! 

Have you bought anything nice recently?!

x

Collective Haul: Topshop, Boohoo...

Hello! I've been doing a fair bit of shopping lately so I thought I'd show you what I picked up :)

First up, clothing...

I'm absolutely loving the cartoon inspired look that's everywhere at the moment! Topshop's  'Kaboom' crop top for £14 really caught my eye! I decided to complete the outfit by pairing it with some pale blue skinny high-waisted jeans, perfect for crop tops! Typical for Topshop jeans they were £36 but imo the price is very worth it because their jeans tend to be super soft and comfortable! Love love love!

Next up, Boohoo...my favourite online shop!...

I love the vibrant colour of this dress and the cut out design around the chest area. It's just about as body-con as you can get but I think this is an ideal 'clubbing' dress and I may well be hitting the town in this on Saturday :)

As I say I'm all about the cartoon at the minute, so when I saw this dress it went straight into my basket! I adore the colour scheme of the dress...so very seasonal! And the cute collar design along with one sleeve really appeals to me. Again it's body-con but this doesn't give the uber-tight effect. I adore how unique this dress is so you are very unlikely to meet someone out wearing the same....Bring on bank holiday weekend woop woop!

Fancy dress...

My friend is having a hippie-themed birthday night out in June so I nipped into Luvyababes fancy dress shop yesterday. At £14.99 the costume was pretty inexpensive and, although you can't see from the picture, I like how it has a flower cut-out bit around the stomach! I also bought some 60's style earrings to complete the look...although they are clip-ons so my ears are probably going to hurt like hell by the end of the night haha! Nevermind!

Make-up...

Surprisingly I haven't bought a great deal of the cosmetic types of late. However, whilst in Topshop the nail polish 'hidden treasure' really appealed to me. It reminds me of Chanel's Peridot varnish (I have been lusting over that from afar for ages) and with a £6 price tag I decided it might help to keep my Chanel cravings at bay for a bit!

I also found myself in Boots looking at the new Maybelline mascara. I'm a massive fan of their 'falsies' mascara so I have high hopes for this Mega Plush one. There is also a offer on atm with it reduced from £7.99 to £5.99, so it was a no-brainer really :P

And last but not least, all in the name of fitness...

I popped into Holland and Barrett's to get my protein fix! I may do a separate post about protein shakes and what not because it's a new thing for me...but yeah, got me some powder and bars! Hehe <3

So there we go...

I have also recently bought a beautiful dress, some heels, a clutch bag and some nail polish in aid of my teacher's ball tomorrow! But I will be doing some sort of post in relation to that after the event! So keep an eye out!

New Urban Decay Palettes Haul!

Hello. So if you saw my recent beauty wishlist you'll know that I firmly had my eye on the Urban Decay Flushed palette. As soon as I heard about it I knew I had to have it, being a big fan of the Naked palettes. However when I wrote the wishlist I never expected that the next day I would end up purchasing it!

Going shopping with my best friend is always dangerous. We both love makeup and we have a habit of encouraging each other to buy more! So, when we went into Debenhams I knew I was in trouble. I saw so many things I'd like to own, but when I saw the two newest Naked palettes wrapped together in a bargain bundle I couldn't resist!

In total the two ended up costing a pretty sweet £30 because I had £5 to spend on my Debenhams' beauty card. Get in! The palettes are just adorable...so tiny!

The Flushed palette is beautiful. I love how it allows you to carry around a bronzer, highlight and blush all in one. It's so compact which would make it ideal for travel purposes. I was also impressed to find that the fastening is magnetic. Not sure why, but this instantly appeals to me...I love magnetic things!

On first impressions the products seem really good. I was a little worried that the bronzer would be too dark and a little harsh on my skin tone but actually I'd say this is the most build-able of the three. It doesn't come on really strong and took a few swatches to get the colour in the photo.

As for the highlight colour, I think it's really pretty and everything you'd require in a highlight. It applies to the skin really well and leaves a nice shimmery soft finish.

The blush is possibly the most pigmented of the three and a little bit appears to go a long way. Keeping to it's title, it gives a nice 'flushed' pink look. Love it!

The Basics palette, for me, is a nice bonus at essentially £10. Don't get me wrong, I liked the look of it when it first came out but I wasn't sure if there was much point in me buying it because I already have the two Naked palettes. However when I saw just how small it was, and super cute, I gave it more than a second glance. I was pleased to see that it only had one of the same shades as the other Naked palettes, 'Foxy', yet on comparing the two back at home they do seem to differ in colour? Odd.

I always love Urban Decay's eye shadows and these are no exception to the rule. I like that this palette offers 5 matte shades, with the only shimmer being 'Venus', because the bigger Naked palettes are a little skimpy on their mattes. The practicality of this palettle is a traveller's dream. Being a uni student I'm always packing a travel makeup bag to head home etc and I think I'd be pretty happy with just taking this little guy as my only eye shadows. I reckon it possesses the potential to create a fair few decent eye looks...including a nice smoky eye among it!

All in all I've really excited about owning these!

I'm sure that full reviews will follow once I've become accustomed to using them! In the meantime, let me know if you have these? What do you think? Or, are they on your wishlist?