ootd: floral skirt and cropped jumper

A very 'Topshop heavy' outfit, saaaarry! I wore this to go to church and then for a three course lunch with my entire church congregation. 

I saw this skirt the last three times I'd been to Topshop and lusted after it and on the fourth time I couldn't resist! Now I love my jumpers but I'd never bought a cropped jumper before and I'm so glad I did. It would look great with some black high waisted skinnies (the next thing that needs to be added to my wardrobe!) but equally nice with a black skater skirt or this floral one and boots. 

Apologies for the lack of decent post since Monday but this week has been filled with celebrations for my friends birthday so I've been very busy and drunk (oh student life!) and this is the first time I've properly sat down by myself all week! 

mac blush - harmony

mac blush - harmony (£16.00)

The holy grail for contouring; particularly if you have fair skin, as I do, as this colour isn't 'orange' or too dark to look fake and can create a beautiful shape if used correctly. You could even use this as a type of bronzer in the warmer months, or if you have a bit of a tan to give you face a radiant glow without the shimmer that a lot of bronzers have. Then you can just apply a subtle highlight and you're well away! 

Since I started contouring my face I noticed how this (also paired with filling in my brows) can frame you face and transform a dull washed out complexion into a wonderfully shaped face and if used in the right way can hide a few traits which you may prefer not to have (thanks for the chubby cheeks, mum!).

This is the first time I have bought a powder from mac (previously I have only owned lipsticks and the 217/266 brushes) and once again, they haven't failed to disappoint with the quality of their products for affordable prices. 

playlist of the day: week two

Demi Lovato - Heart Attack (Alias Club Remix)

This week has been a week full of getting back into being at university, drinking a lot of alcohol, a couple of kisses and upbeat/feel good music. I've pretty much listened to my "pre-drinks" playlist on spotify all week due to going out a few times and feeling quite positive about life. 

The one song in particular that I've had on non-stop (especially while in the shower, cue dramatic shower singing) is Heart Attack by Demi Lovato but the Alias Club remix, although I do like the original. The lyrics are brilliant and I feel it's quite relevant to my life at the minute, I'm ditching being sad about not being in a relationship (although I do miss it tonnes) and enjoying being the young, single girl I am.

This week was a bit of a change to last week where I stayed in on my first weekend back at uni, compared to going out clubbing a fair amount over the past week, hence the dramatic change from the 1975 to more upbeat and "get into the party mood" songs. My music choices really do reflect on my mood and what I'm doing at that time, so I'm hoping that'll be reflected in this series!

review: urban decay naked basics palette

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette (£20)

I was feeling a little down the other day so of course after a 9-5 day at uni I nipped into Highcross to pick up this beauty to cheer me up! 

This palette is a lot more versatile that I thought it would be, you can easily create a simple eye, a brown smokey look or a full on look for an evening or night out which is excellent for the price.The eyeshadows are very pigmented but still easily blendable and you can definitely tell that they are higher end shadows but at the same time I feel the price is extremely reasonable. Each individual shadow is gorgeous and the palette features 5 matte shades and 'venus' which is a shimmery highlight shade.

The packaging is a little smaller than perhaps an iphone which means it is perfect for travelling especially with the large mirror on the inside of the lid and I just known this palette will soon become a hangbag essential and one to definitely take away with me. 

I am thoroughly pleased with this palette and it's definitely worth buying if you're into makeup or just beginning. 

playlist of the day: week one

fairy lights: poundland // candle: sainsbury's (orchid and sweet coconut) // book: 'i heart christmas' by lindsey kelk

The 1975

I recently took a dive into paying for spotify premium each month as opposed to paying for individual songs on iTunes as i wanted to stay branching out with my music choices instead of listening to what was in the charts all the time so i thought spotify would be a great way to do this.

Through a friend i found the 1975 and oh my word i love them! seriously, they're my new favourite band and the lead singer matthew healy has such a unique voice and i love how he sounds on these songs. 

They would be described as an indie/rock band and are formed of 4 male members who all play an instrument in the band (either guitar, bass or drums). 

My particular favourite songs at the minute are:

girls

chocolate

sex

the city 

So this afternoon i decided to relax for a few hours by listening to my new favourite band, switching on my cosy fairy lights, lighting a candle and reading my book. 

bliss.

what's in my everyday bag?

ASOS scallop edged satchel £30

1: notepad from sainsbury's and pen - just in case i get an idea for something, but mainly for the ridiculous amount of lists i keep!

2: iPad and charger/iPhone charger - i don't always carry my iPad, only if travelling or going to university but i always carry my iPhone charger because as we know, the battery life on iPhone's is rubbish at the best of times but especially when you tweet as much as i do!

3: hair bobbles and hair grips - an essential for all handbags!

4: soap and glory 'hand maid' antibacterial hand gel - because it's a dirty world out there!

5: kleenex tissues

6: soap and glory hand food - an must have, especially at winter time

7: hollister body mist 'tippers beach' - just in case i  need a freshen up throughout the day

8: real techniques blush brush and rimmel stay matte powder - i always keep these in my bag particularly cause i have oily skin!

9: keys - self explanatory!

10: ted baker nude purse/wallet

11: cheap nail file!

12: skull candy in ear buds - again for travelling or the walk to university!

13: contact lens case filled with solution 

14: burts bee's lip balm and caries mac/rimmel/topshop lipsticks all autumnal shades for this season!

15: maybelline colour show clear nail varnish and essie's 'bahama mama' nail lacquer - i always keep my current nail varnish in my bag plus clear fr a glossy finish!

16: chewing gum - i love having minty fresh breath!

so there we go, that is exactly what is in my bag at the minute! 

see you wednesday for the first post of my new series!

xox

new year's resolutions 2014 - new year, new me cliche

So another year has passed and this year I have decided to actually write new years resolutions which is something I have never done before, I know shock horror! Now apart from September onwards, last year was a pretty crappy year to say the least and I found myself being extremely unhappy all the time, well not this year, this year I'm going to improve my life and in turn be a much happier person. So here are my resolutions this year and how I plan to make the coming year a much happier one for me. 

Record more moments

I want to try and write something, whether that be one sentence or 10 pages in a journal every day this entire year to try and keep track of everything that happens this year and then I can look back this time next year and perhaps remember some of the good things that have happened and I may have forgotten about!

Branch out of my comfort zone

This one is pretty self-explanatory, I want to try new things, push myself to meet new people, go places, be spontaneous and do things just because I want to and not overthink things and talk myself out of doing stuff like I always do!

Use my Canon 1100d more

I feel like, for such a big investment that my camera was, I'm not sure I really get my use out of it. So I intend to take more photos to not only document more memories (and put them in my journal rather than just online!) but to also develop my currently limited photography skills and learn more. 

Blog more!

I have set myself a new schedule of two posts a week: Wednesday and Saturday, you lucky devils! So I will try to stick to that as much as I possibly can, but when things get a bit busier, then I want to try and at least blog once a week. 

Eat healthier

Last year I had a lots of ups and downs when it came to food so this year I intend to eat as healthy as possible, and I won't starve myself of little treats now and again but I want to cook proper meals and eat more fresh produce. 

Exercise at least once a week

Whether this be a video workout in the living room with the girls or going for a jog with the lads, I want to d more to tone up and get fitter. 2014 is the year I get a hot bod! haha. 

Make more time for friends

I want to try harder to stay in contact with people this year, including going to see my bestest friend in the world in Sheffield and just making more effort to drop people a text and asking how they're getting on, which let's face it, isn't difficult. 

Achieve a 2:2 or above in my first year of uni

I want to actually do my pre-reading, attend more seminars and try my absolute hardest on the 4 essays I have due in April!

Look after myself

I want to start respecting how far I have come in the past year and look after myself both physically with exercise, healthy eating and skin care, but also emotionally. I want to stop being so tough on myself and start accepting the mistakes I am bound to make. No one is perfect, certainly not myself and I need to start remembering that and realising that I'm gonna make mistakes and chance are, push people away who I really care about but it's never too late to start again.

Well, before I go all soppy on you all I shall leave it there for you! Hopefully this year can be much better than last year and I can stick to these resolutions.

Hope everyone had a wonderful new years eve and I wish nothing but happiness for each one of you in the coming year. 

Have you made any new years resolutions? Let me know!

See you Saturday for a new post! xox