Tiger Haul

I found these stashed in the back of my drawers when I was packing everything together to take back to uni. I discovered Tiger about two years ago, and I just wish they would open one in Manchester. I did a rather large haul last year from the store in Palma which you could read here. This years haul comes from the store in Milan. It's a great store to browse around and find lots of bits and bobs, which you don't really need but make you rather happy inside. I love the stationery most of all as it is unique, and most of all great value. You don't feel bad for buying things as it won't break the bank.

When I saw this cute little wired basket I was not sure what I was going to do with it, but I instantly knew that I needed it. My first thought was to fill it with stationery, however I think I might use it to store products which I am currently testing out. Therefore, I won't forget about them and all the products will be all in one place. I had a classic bloggers moment with this tape. It was just so pretty I could not leave it on the shelves. My mum said the inevitable 'what are you going to do with that?', and I didn't really have an answer. I just sneaked it in my basket. It is rather pretty, and I am going to use it in my blog posts, and to make my notebooks a bit more snazzy. Last but not least, and something which had a firm place in my basket was these mega metallic paperclips. I did have a slight moment to myself to think do I need these, and then I totally reassured myself within seconds that of course I needed them. I am going to use them at uni to keep all my papers together, and look like the coolest kid in the class. All in all, I didn't really need any of this but is cost just 8 euros in total, and I totally love looking at everything in all of it's glory.

Do you love Tiger just as much as I do?

Lucy
xoxo

Getting Organised & Blogging Updates

As the new school year starts it is always an opportunity to give yourself a little refresh, and implement any changes which you have been meaning to do forever. Therefore having had a good amount of time off university and a well deserved break, this has allowed me to get myself into a new blogging regime which I have been really enjoying. When I have too much uni work, and I feel deeply under pressure to fit everything in around - placement, essays, working and blogging, I always make sure that I post at least every Sunday no matter what is happening. But my usual previous schedule was Wednesdays and Sundays, but with a little extra time over the summer break I have been adding in a Friday post as well. I have been really enjoying this additional post as it has allowed me to branch into more fashion and lifestyle posts, which I have been wanting to do for ages.

As I am entering my third year of university and my course is very intense at times (not exaggerating!), but I love it and I really want to achieve the best which I am possibly able to, by dedicating myself to it wholly. But on the other hand I really do love my blog, and it makes me happy and gives me a break from the bubble of university. So I decided that before I started back at uni in order to be able to get the balance between everything, that I needed to seriously get organised. I will confess that I am messy person, no doubt about that. However, I like to be organised. I have to know in day to day life my plans in advance so I can organise my time effectively. But I feel that I have never had a proper structure to how I blog, and I think it will make my life so much easier if I create some kind of organisation. So I invested in a snazzy new notebook to help my kick start things. I have been looking for one throughout summer, every paper and stationery shop which you can name, I have been in and have left empty handed. I popped into Scribbler to get a birthday card for a friend and this instantly caught me eye, and the price tag was also very desirable at £6.99. I did a whole blog post about the book here. I love having a book dedicated just to blogging where I can express my ideas. I am excited at the prospect of being organised, and feeling less pressure on myself to always having to blog last minute as I have had simply had no other time free.

My iPad has become so handy since I got it for my birthday! It makes it so much easier to keep up on all things surrounding my blog, and to edit posts rather than on my phone when I am on the go.  I am on the hunt for a good keyboard to attach to it, to make me even more efficient, so if you have any good suggestions on places to buy one I would be very grateful. I didn't think I was going to use my iPad for much to do with my blog, but it has been stuck to my hand.

I have also been joining in a few bloggers chats recently and I have really been enjoying the interaction. My favourite is #bbloggers on Wednesdays and Sundays. I love being able to chat to others who have similar interests to me, and  also getting the opportunity to talk about new products and must haves which I need to pick up. Unless I am on a shift which means that I will miss some of the chat by the time I get home, I am going to dedicate myself to joining in the weekly chats.

Have you any organisation tips for me ?

Lucy
xoxo

20 Autumnal Blog Ideas - Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle

Today I thought I would give you a bit of blog inspiration for the Autumn, Sometimes you find yourself in a rut, and completely clueless of what to blog about so I've put together 20 ideas for you.

Beauty
1. How to do Autumnal Makeup Trends
2. Must Have Pieces
3. Essential Handbag Products
4. Switching Up Your Makeup
5. Rediscovering Your Beauty Stash
6. Monthly Favourites
7. Autumn Makeup Tutorial
8. New Beauty Buys for Autumn
9.  Skincare Update
10. Recent Product Realises

Fashion
11.Must Have Autumnal Pieces
12.Autumn Wishlist
13. Transitioning Summer to Autumn
14. How to Look Stylish in the Autumn
15. Upcoming Trends

Lifestyle
16. What I Love about Autumn
17. Organisation Tips
18. Home Haul - Candles/Blankets
19. How To Prepare for Christmas - Budgeting/Where to Buy/How to Save
20. Places to Visit

Lucy
xoxo

Train Tickets - Tips and Tricks

Having just started my third year of uni, I have quite a bit of experience now at train ticket buying! I have a few easy tips and tricks which I would like to share to help you save as much money as possible.

Lots of us have started back at work/college/university after the summer break. Last week I saw a article from the Manchester Evening News which you can read here about Virgin Trains no longer allowing people to use their rail cards to buy off peak tickets for on peak train times. This was a massive shock to me as I often travel on peak but even though the tickets are more expensive at full price, I have always been about to use my 16-25 railcard to save 1/3 on all tickets. For university I have to travel to Lancaster for some of my lectures last year this would cost £14 for a return using my railcard, this year it's £23. On this particular journey Virgin have been rather cheeky and put the full price ticket up. They are allowing you to use your railcard but to buy an on peak ticket rather than getting it at an off peak price. The ticket is now £9 more, so they have still made the profit which they have intended to. I think all the tickets have been put up even if it's just £2/£3. They are very nifty those people in Virgin HQ, as they know people will still pay it as they have to go to work or home.

Being at university in Carlisle a return ticket from Bolton - Carlisle without a railcard is £49! Which I think is absolutely ridiculous for a journey with takes under 2 hours. With my railcard this same ticket would cost £32.35. This is a hefty saving but to me it is still a rather large amount of money. Over the summer I quit my part time job which I have had since I was 17, as it was just not working having being on placements and also my summer holidays. But I have managed to pick up a bank job which is perfect as I can pick and choose when I want to work, with no ties into working every week. So I have decided that I am going to be coming home a lot more this years due to personal matters, but I have thought about the additional cost which this is going to cost. I did buy my first ever car over the summer - finally after passing my test two years ago. But I am having a few teething problems and I'm not quite ready to be whizzing up and down the motorway all the way. I would also be travelling in rush hour, and come the dark winter nights there are no lights on a main part of the motorway which I would be traveling on. So for now I'm sticking with trains until I build my confidence up to face the motorway journeys.

So how do I save money in my tickets? My best tip is booking your journey in advance if possible, it can save major pennies. I no this isn't always the case, as you might need to get to somewhere spontaneously, but if possible if you look two/threes weeks or in further in advance you can save a good sum of money. I can get tickets as cheap as £6.75 for a single ticket meaning for a return that's over half of the original sum. I have to say this doesn't happen that often but for me if I book three weeks in advance tickets are available for £8.20, nearer the time the price is usually £12.20. Over time if you are travelling regularly you will notice a big saving, for not that much work. The closer you get to the date you are travelling the more it will be, as they set a limited amount of 'cheaper' tickets available on each train journey. They are first come first serve, so literally when they are gone, they are gone!

I have only ever paid the full amount of money on 2/3 occasions, and that has been when I decided the night before that I want to venture home for the weekend. What is madness is you will notice that train tickets are practically the same amount for singles as open returns - how crazy! A single from Bolton to Carlisle is £31.00 and a return is £32.35. So bare this is mind as if you get an open return you can use the return part for an entire month. I have had many train journeys where my ticket has not been checked, meaning that I have been able to reuse it within the month. I must state I actually like getting my ticket checked as it makes me feel like it was money well spent, whereas when you don't I get that feeling of I really shouldn't of bothered. 

What really annoys me is that there is always a cheap train at 15.49 for me to get home, as its just before the start of on peak and rush hour is about to start. However I finish uni at 4 which is so annoying! But if you are able to travel during the day, you can save a good sum of money. Take this into consideration if your going on a day trip if you travel between 10-3 and then after 6 you'll notice you can get some bargains. 

Another tip is splitting up your train journey. For me, 9/10 times I have to change in Preston. So when browsing for tickets if there is no cheap direct journey, consider splitting your journey up. If the journey planner is telling you that you have to change somewhere anyway, then that's the perfect place to do it at. So I browse for tickets from Carlisle to Preston and then from Preston to Bolton. As the part of the journey from Carlisle to Preston is definitely the most expensive. For example once again booking in advance, I can get both parts of the journey for £12.50 so £25 a saving of £7 just for splitting up the journey. 

Finally, the train line app is an absolute god send as you can quickly browse and book tickets. On the app they charge 0.50 for a booking fee for paying on any card, which is cheeky once again as you obviously can't pay cash. So if you live near the train station you can book them at the ticket office and not pay the booking fee. But that's a lot of effort if you don't live near the station, so what I do if possible is to bulk buy. As if you doing four journeys within a week and book them separate that's £2 extra. Also, the most convenient way to collect your tickets is by collecting them at the self service ticket machine. You can collect them within an hour of buying them from any self service machine across the UK. If I've booked a few different journeys you can collect them in bulk. You can check your tickets on the my tickets section of the app as it tells everything you need to know about your journey.

I hope this has helped you as before I went to university I was clueless as to where to start and simply didn't go home that often as I thought that I couldn't afford to! Have got any other tips for train users? 

Lucy 

xoxo

Sephora Lip Cream Stain in Maderin Muse

The Sephora Lip Cream Stain in Maderin Muse is totally an Essie Button enabler product. She has mentioned it many, many times in her videos and on her blog, and I wanted to get my hands on it. However, as there are no Sephora stores at all currently in the UK, that resorts to us either buying abroad or shopping online. I have only ever been to two Sephora's in my life and I have two posts on those visits - one in Palma last summer and one in Milan this summer. If you read this year's post you will see that I picked barely anything up, but this was what I managed to get my hands on.

I had been meaning to try it out for the last month, and had never quite found the right occasion. However, last week I whipped it out for the first time on a dinner date with a friend. Now, I did not know what  to expect but all I can say is 'WOW'. First up it is so pigmented, I have never seen I product like this in my life - which is a bold but very true statement. Application was actually tricky as you have to be so precise, due to the colour payoff. Once it is on it dries very quickly to a pure matte finish, which is there to stay. It is actually a lot brighter than I first expected, it is very much a vibrant orange. First impressions were that I was very impressed, and I was excited to see how it lasted throughout the day.

For dinner I went to an Italian restaurant and had a pizza. When I had a quick check in the mirror it had started to come off in places which is expected when eating, but it still looked okay. It had faded a little, but in order to test the product properly I didn't bother reapplying just yet. However, a few hours later it had flaked off and dried to the outer layer of my lips and looked very patchy, which was disappointing. But with a quick reapplication it looked just as good as when I had first applied it. Like I say though it takes a little time to get it perfect as it is both bright and pigmented. 

All in all, I was very impressed with this. They cost €9.90 which is such great value for how great this product really is. If you have any Sephora trips planned in the near future, I highly recommend putting this lip product instantly to the top of your wishlist. They come in 12 different shades, so get swatching if you go shopping!

Have you tried any of the Sephora Lip Cream Stains?

Lucy

xoxo

Blah, Blah, Blah Blogging Notebook

I have been looking for a notebook for the entire summer, and I was on the brink of giving up. I have been trying to get organised, and a dedicated blogging notebook was where I thought I would start. I had stumbled into every stationary and notebook shop within the entire Manchester radius. I had also spent hours looking online, but they are always so expensive and then delivery on top. Most of all, I never actually found one which I truly loved. But they say you find what your looking for, when you least expect and that is exactly what happened in this case. I was shopping in Scribbler for a birthday card for my friend's birthday and I spotted this starring at me on the shelves. (Unfortunately this is not available online, but if you have a local Scribbler I would pop in and have a look if you like it).I had set out to get one with a ringed edging, as it makes it easier to keep the pages open, and help prevents it from getting tatty. This one however has a ridged edge which makes it much easier to use, and the pages will stay open when a little pressure is applied. The blah, blah, blah message is great, as it is a notebook where I am going to writing endless notes, which will only make sense to me. What makes it even prettier are that the words are embossed in gold. I also really like the elastic attached as it very practical and keeps everything together, and if you have any loose papers they won't fall out. The notebook has a real autumnal feel with the leaf design, but it is still a simple, classic notebook. I was so happy to have finally found a notebook which I really like, and I was pleasantly surprised at the price tag of £6.99. I am hoping this will be the start of my organisation journey, as I often get random thoughts when I least expect and I will now have somewhere to jot them down instantly.

Do you have a dedicated blogging notebook?

Lucy
xoxo

The Black Milk Cereal Cafe

Last week one of my friends suggested us visiting the Black Milk Cereal Cafe, which is situated in Afflecks Palace, in the Northern Quarter part of Manchester city centre. To be honest I am not a huge cereal lover, I give and take Weetabix from time to time but that is about it. On the other hand, my friend who I went whether adores cereal and I knew she would truly love it when she suggested it. It is a very cute and cosy place, with just five tables.

 

You can order bowls in single, double or triple size, and I opted for the double option as I wanted two different types of cereals. I choose mini chocolate Weetabix and Lucky Charms. They offer at least thirty different types of cereals for you to choose from. You can also choose any sauce of you choice, and the best bit of all as many toppings as you like. This was the bit which was most exciting I opted for Toblerone, Crunchie and Smarties. You can also choose what type of milk you would like, I was boring and went for normal milk. But there are many different types of milk available including strawberry, chocolate and almond. My friend choose a chocolate bowl, which is self explanatory - the bowl is made out of chocolate. I didn't think I was going to able to eat that as well as everything else which I had ordered.

On to the milkshakes, which were simply exceptional. I choose the strawberry, with cream and sprinkles which is my ultimate favourite. He offered us the milkshake of the day which was strawberry and nutella which my friend opted for, but I am really not a nutella fan at all. They were so delicious yet so filling.

By the time my cereal had arrived, I had already drank half of my milkshake which was a bad move. I started to delve into my cereal bowl, and instantly realised I had over ordered. I did not expect the bowl to be quite that large. It tasted really nice though, which was a surprise to my non-loving cereal self. I actually really enjoyed the mix of everything which I choose, but the Toblerone differently filled me up. I unfortunately only managed to eat about 1/2 a bowl, as I was absolutely stuffed. I was disappointed with myself, but I made sure there was no chocolate left in the bowl! Now eating the chocolate bowl was a serious challenge for my friend, and unfortunately she did not manage very much of it. It did cost me £8 for my milkshake and cereal which I know is not cheap, but you are paying for the novelty of the idea. I really enjoyed the experience of going, and it a great cosy place to catch up with your friends. For more inspiration I suggest you follow their Instagram page here.

Do you fancy visiting the Black Milk Cereal Cafe?

Lucy
xoxo

Primark Pom Pom Shoes

I have seem pom pom shoes everywhere recently, and I just could not decide whether I loved or loathed them. I recently saw the Charlotte Olympia pom pom heels, but they come with a rather hefty price tag. In Selfridges within the Trafford Centre, there is now a Primark section. At first, I was so against this as Selfridges is such a high end, luxury shop. However, in the upstairs section of the store they have incorporated many high street brands such as Missguided and Miss Selfridge into the store. The cashier also told me that Selfridge's have bought Primark, which makes the explanation a lot simpler.

You know your regular Primark - the hussle and bussle, things everywhere, huge queues, well it's Primark's must have pieces without all of that. It is there best pieces of the season, and they even have some Selfridge's exclusives. I have been converted and I have actually really become fond of the section. I stumbled across these pom pom shoes in this beautiful navy shade on my last trip, and I instantly snapped them up. My sister picked them up in black which are just as lovely, but there was very limited sizes left on the shelves. I originally did want the black, but they didn't have my size. However, it was meant to be as I have fallen in love with the navy. I like that they are a statement shoes, but one in which you can wear so easily. I know not everyone is going to like these, as my dad described them as a 'genie slipper'. But, I really like that they are different and a little bit out of my usual comfort zone. I think Primark shoes as a whole as really comfortable, and these didn't disappoint.

Are loving our loathing these shoes? Please let me know in the comments...

Lucy
xoxo

August Favourites

For once I think I am finally happy to say bye bye to the good old English summer, and welcome autumn well and truly. For me as soon as September arrives. autumn is officially here. In August, I used lots of different products as for two of the weeks I was on holiday in Italy, which can find all about here.

BonBon by Viktor & Rolf has been my go to perfume for this month. My go to perfume scent is typically fruity and sweet, and this ticks all the boxes. I got this for Christmas last year, and wore it for a while and then got out of the routine of wearing it. I rediscovered it this month, and I am glad I did, as I have fallen in love all over again.

The Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Scrub was such a perfect product for me when I went on holiday at the start of August. My skin was very dry and needed a good scrub to help exfoliate the skin deeply. This is the first time I have ever tried this, and I was so impressed. First up the scent is delightful it smells of sugar and fruity, with a distinct orange hint. For £2.50 for 50ml it is excellent value, it is so great for travelling. Once this is used up I am definitely going to be picking up the full size product.

REN Ever Calming Gentle Cleansing Gel is a skincare brand which I had been wanting to try out for a while now. I picked this up in the summer sales in Harvey Nichols at the end of June, as they were a big skincare sale for £10.50. At full price it cost £15, which is still reasonable for a high end skincare brand. My skincare routine is something which I have been trying to piece together slowly but surely, but I am a bit clueless of where to start. I have added this into my currently rather small skincare routine, 2-3 times a week and I have really been liking it. It is a very gentle, soft gel which gently deep cleanses you skin, and it makes it feel refreshed and clean.

Mi-Ny Cosmetics is a probably a brand which you have never heard of, and neither had I until I spotted the brand across stores in Italy. It is a brand solely dedicated all things nails. I picked up this pink glitter polish, and I have been truly impressed. It has a thick formula, and I only needed one coat which was definitely a bonus. This also stayed on my nails for 3 days without needing a top up of any kind. The brand comes up the drugstore bracket, as these cost €6.90, which is great value. Unfortunately, I do not think there is currently any stores within the UK, but you can get shipping over here. But, if you are in Italy I seriously recommend popping in and taking a browse.

I got this Nars Audicious Lipstick in the shade Catherine for as part of my 21st Birthday makeover the Nars counter. At £24, it was definitely a splurge buy, but it is the best orange toned lipstick which I have ever bought. It is super easy to apply and the pigmentation is beautiful. I do feel that I do have to reapply it, more often than some of my other lipsticks which is a shame.

What have been your favourite products throughout August?

Lucy
xoxo

Italian Travels: Pasta and Pizza

Italian food it my absolute favourite, and there is nothing better than a good old Spaghetti Bolognese. Whilst on my recent holiday in Italy I did a post all about where we stayed in Lake Como, and must see places to visit which you can find here.

I thought I would do a dedicated post to the types of food which were available and just how delicious they really were. By the end of this post you will be licking your lips, and wanting to jump on a plane!

 

Pizza, pizza, pizza. The classic Italian dish and by gosh they don't do things by half. As you can tell by the photo they are pretty gigantic. The pizzas come on a thin base, with loads of toppings is exactly how I like it. They definitely do not do all the options as Domino's with all their different types of bases. They all come thin and crispy - delicious. The topping on this pizza was parma ham which tasted sensational.

Tagliatelle al funghi is a lovely pasta dish, containing Italian porcini mushrooms. The sauce is a creamy which goes really well alongside the mushrooms within the dish. I found this dish very filling and did not quite manage to finish it, but it is a great hearty pasta meal. The sauce is along the lines of a carbonara type sauce. My aim is to learn how to make this type of sauce, as I am presuming it is rather simple. I will report back if I have any success.

Just seeing the picture of this Cannelloni makes my mouth drool. After a rather long decisive process, I finally decided that this was my favourite meal of the entire trip. I cannot put my finger on the exact reason, but it was out of this world. But it definitely had something to do with the incredible meat and tomato sauce combination. Everything within the dish was cooked to perfection, and it all went together perfectly. I can say that three weeks after visiting this restaurant, I am still talking about this Cannelloni.

And finally my favourite, the bolognese. On this occasion I opted for the tagliatelle option, as I was trying to mix it up, as at this point I had probably already had at least five spaghetti bolognese's already! I just cannot get enough. It is all about the sauce, the tomato ragu is just the most tastiest sauce which exists, and it is truly a dish which I will never, ever get bored off. When I was younger and we would go on holiday to Italy I would have Spaghetti Bolognese for the entire 14 nights of the holiday, as nothing can ever top it. These days I have ventured out to different pastas, but it is always my go to dish, and always will be.

What is you favourite Italian food?

Lucy
xoxo

The Suede Trend

Suede seems to be all over the high street and designer brands this coming A/W. At first I didn't think it would be me at all, but seeing as it is everywhere I have taken a huge liking to the new trend.

I love the new lace up trend, which is has been roaming the recent A/W styles. This Burgundy Crop Top incorporates both the suede and lace up look, which I think it really on trend for this season. Burgundy is such a great colour for the Autumn, and I think it looks lovely on my paler skin tone. I never really shop on MissGuided but I was super impressed with a lot of their new season clothing, especially this Khaki Mini Skirt . I love the dark grey shade, as I feel it is super versatile and I could wear it in lots of different ways, The additional studded detail finishes off the skirt perfectly.

In Zara they have a new page just dedicated to all things suede, which was excellent and made it so easy for me to browse. Two particular items caught my eye from the website, first the Faux Suede Bomber . I was surprised that this was £39.99 as I was expecting it to cost much more, as it looks expensive. It is a perfect jacket to be able to throw over many outfits, to help complete the overall look. I have been seeing this emerald green shade of suede everywhere, which I have been so intrigued by. The Green Leather Boots  are so cute and would seriously jazz up any outfit, and is a great statement piece to have in your A/W wardrobe.

I love, love, love this Suede Pinafore  dresses from ASOS. I totally adore skater style dresses as they such my figure really well. I think it will be super easy to wear with different tops underneath, a pair of tights and some classic black ankle boots. ASOS had so many great places including this Embossed Croc Bag, this is actually currently sat in my saved for later basket, and is an item I keep going back to time and time again. I love the pale grey shade, and the fact that it is real leather and just £35. I really wanted to get it, and use it at university and I think I am going to have to get it. This Oversized Jacket by Pull & Bear instantly caught my eye as most of the jackets I have seen from other brands have been cropped bomber style jackets. I love how easy this would be to wear, and you could throw it over pretty much any outfit and I would look brilliant. At £99.00 it would definitely be an investment piece for me, but one worth while as it has such great detailing with the studs and big pockets.

I know that this Karen Millen Pink Clutch does not belong to the traditional Autumn/ Winter colour scheme, but I think it is a perfect addition to add a little brighter colour to an outfit. I would probably use this in the evening to add a little extra dimension to my outfit.

You can always rely on Topshop when it comes to statement shoes, and this season they have bot failed to impress me. These Chunky Platforms  are a perfect addition to your wardrobe as you can are able to wear with lots of outfits. I love the gold detailing around the base of the shoes, adding a little more detailing. This Suedette Skater Dress  is once again bang on trend with the additional lace up detailing. I love the traditional tan suede colour, and that it is also a skater style dress. I am sure I am going to pick this up at some point during Autumn, as it is a great and reliable piece to have.

When I first saw this Khaki Suede Dress   in Dorothy Perkins, I was not a 100% sure whether it was me or not. But I actually really like the Khaki colour, and is a great alternative to the traditional tan or black. I love the big pockets on the front and the loose style of the dress.

Do you like the suede trend? and have you picked any suede pieces up yet?

Lucy
xoxo

New Lush Launches

As we all know lush has launched a brand new line of bath products. However they were exclusive to the flagship store on Oxford Street in London. So for all us lush lovers living everywhere but London we were unable to get our paws on the line. But there is good news awaiting for us, they have realised the line in many other stores around the UK- yippee! 

I am a massive lover of the Lush brand, and have been for many years. They sell so many lovely, unique products containing natural ingredients. I had a little look on their website before heading out to my local store. Thank goodness I was with my mum, as I was surprised that my local store had as much as they did of the new line as it is a very small store. I fell instantly in love with the Pink Flamingo Bubble Bar, as this is just so girly and pretty. As part f the Christmas Collection they sell a pink star which is a really lovely product, and I always pick it up each year. At £5.95 they may seem very expensive, but I always get 3-4 uses out of the bubble bars. As you run them under the tap they rapidly create bubbles, and you get a really good bubbly bath. The Experimenter Bath Bomb was not initially on my hit list, and I had planned to pick up the Frozen Let It Go Bath Bomb which looked very exciting! But the experimenter is so colourful, and I could just imagine my bath being a rainbow which sounds pretty dam good to me.

Have you picked anything up from the new lush line?

Lucy
xoxo

OOTE: The Flower Print Jumpsuit

As usual when I am heading out to celebrate a friends birthday, I left it until the day to decide what I wanted to wear. After the classic 'floordrobe' in the morning, I decided I needed something new to wear. I had looked in the usual Zara and Topshop hoping something would catch my eye but nothing did. My sister headed into Dorothy Perkins, and whilst she was mass buying, I had a quick look over the Petite range sale rail. This jumpsuit instantly caught my eye, as I do like big, bold prints. I tried on the last size 8 and it fitted perfectly. I always struggle with the leg length of jumpsuits as I am just 5ft, but this was the exact length for my frame. I love the detail of both the big flowers and the butterflies. It cost £20, and then I got my student discount so for £18 I think it is an excellent buy.

I managed to find it on the website, they call it the Petite Butterfly Jumpsuit , they have it left in a few sizes if you fancy grabbing it for yourself. Whilst browsing on the website finding the link, I have seriously fallen for the Petite Rust Tribal Jumpsuit, which is the exact same style, and I may have added it to my basket! Heads up this weekend until midnight on Saturday, it is an extra 20% off online on all sale items.

Lucy
xoxo

Fleur De Force Lashes for Eyelure

I managed to get my hands on the new range of eyelashes by Fleur De Force last week, the day after they were realised in the big store on Market Street in Manchester.  I picked up the style Fleur & Fabulous, as I wanted to wear them for a night out last weekend. I can report back that the style of the eyelashes are a really lovely criss-cross style with tapered ends, and lightweight as they state. The glue adhesive which was enclosed was not the greatest so I switched to my MAC Duo to help attach them perfectly. Usually with many brands of eyelashes I have to chop some of the end of the lash off, as they are too big for my eyes. However, these they were the perfect size for my eyes making it much easier and saving a lot of time, fiddling around and trying to get the exact size. Once they were securing attached, I did not have to reapply or touch up any areas throughout the night which is great, as who wants to be trying to reattach lashes whilst you are out really?! They are such great value at just £5.95, and I will definitely be repurchasing. I have my eye on trying the Simply Fleur style too, as they are a little more subtle with less depth and darkness. Another bonus to these lashes were that when I took them off they were still in great condition, and I am planning on re-wearing them this coming weekend.

Have you picked up any of the lashes from Fleur's range?

Lucy
xoxo

Zara Autumn Wishlist

The Zara Autumn/Winter collection is one of the best I have seen, and there is so much that I want. This is nine of my favourite pieces which I have whittled down. They have everything from fur coats and scarfs to every piece of suede which you could ever imagine. I think after this, I am definitely ready for Autumn to arrive.

The Emerald Suede Jacket is an item which I just have to have in my wardrobe. It is such a beautiful and unique colour, and I dream about it every time I see it in store. I am definitely going to be picking it up as it is a must have piece, and I have already decided on everything in which I can wear it with.

The Black Ankle Boots are such great value at £29.99, a thick chunky boot is an essential for the winter months. The zip feature adds a little bit of uniqueness, and I like the two different materials used adding some feature to the boots.

The Camel Coat is such a gorgeous basic coat for the Autumn. I have never owned a camel coloured coat, I usually go for a simple black, but I am wanting to venture out and this is a perfect option. It is a traditional tailored button up coat, and the simplicity of it is what draws me to it.

The Red Midi Skirt  is not something which I would usually choose, as it is quite bright colour but will add a pop of colour to a simple outfit. Button detailing is big for A/W 16, and this is a new way of portraying the style.

The Fringed Suede Black Bag  is such a great staple. It is a great size, and one in which you will be able to use everyday to add some detail to your outfit. I love bags with long straps which you can throw over your shoulder, and you will be able to fit so much in it.

The Navy Pinafore dress is too cute! I love the detail of the bralet attached to the dress, with just a small amount of flesh on show. It is a piece which you could get a lot of wear out of, and being navy it is the perfect colour for the Autumn.

The Grey Funell Collar Jumper  is something which instantly caught my eye. It looks so cosy and comfy and will be so versatile to wear. I love high neck jumpers as they add just a little amount of detail to a such a simple, statement piece. Plus they will also keep your neck warm in the freezing weather.

The Black Lace Up Ballerina Flats are such a great piece of footwear, and I have seen so many pairs of shoes this season with a lace up feature. I think they are quirky and will look really pretty when they are tied up.

The Red shorts are such a statement piece with the big pockets on the front. I love the high waisted style on myself, it suits me personally as it draws attention to my waist and not to my hips and thighs. I love how they are tailored, yet loose fitting, meaning they should be really comfortable.

Have you got any of these items sitting in your checkout basket ready to order?

Lucy
xoxo

Italian Travels: Lako Como, Milan and Lagano

Over the last two weeks I headed to Lake Como in Italy for a family holiday. My parents are huge fans of Italy, which I am not complaining about as it is one of the prettiest places you can ever visit. We were staying in a small town called Tremezzo, in the Hotel Balzoni which was a half board hotel. It was situating right on the lake, and it was amazing to eat your dinner overlooking the lake. Whilst there was not very much to do in Tremezzo itself, it was very easy to get around the lake on the local buses and ferries. There are many little villages and towns around the lake, and we visited many of them over our stay. Whilst visiting the lake there are a few towns which I would especially recommend visiting. Bellagio which is one of the biggest towns on the lake, it is very picturesque and has many little shops and restaurants overlooking the lake. Lako Como itself is somewhere which we visited twice, as we liked it so much. To my surprise it was much bigger than I thought, it has lots of little streets and a great variety of shops on offer. For a ferry ticket all day around the lake it was 15 euros, which is a really great way of getting around both sides of the lake and see all the different villages and towns which are there.

The most exciting venture for me personally on this trip was when we visited Milan. As many of you will know I am a keen fashion and beauty buyer, and as the 'fashion capital of Europe' I was rather thrilled about having a bit of a rather large splurge. We did it through our travel company and the trip to Milan was 50 euros per person. It took an hour and a half to get there from Lake Como, which was a rather long journey on a hot, stuffy coach. However, when we got there we were taken on a tour of the Sforzecso Castle, Duomo di Milan (Cathedral of Milan) and taken to the famous La Scala Opera House. When we were then left to do whatever we wanted in the city for three and a half hours. First on my list was to visit the mecca also known as Sephora. I wrote a whole blog post here about my experience, and everything which I picked up or lack of. I did lots of other shopping in Zara which was huge, Kiko and H&M. It is definitely a good shopping place, and there was lots of luxury brands if that is your forte. In terms of culture it definitely signified how you envisage Italy as a country. However, I was disappointed as it was not a particularly pretty city, as I had imagined it to be this beautiful place with lots of photo opportunities and it wasn't. All in all, I would definitely recommend it as a place to visit as I had a brilliant day out, but I would not particularly feel the need to visit again. What I can say is though for a city, it was not too expensive and everything was fairly well priced.

There was a trip to Lagano which is a part of Switzerland which I found rather exciting, as I have never been to Switzerland before. It took about an hour on the coach to get through to the swiss borders. Lagano was a lovely town with lots of different types of shops. All I can say is that it is rather expensive, we saw a risotto advertised for 38 swiss francs, and a pasta dish was typically 25 swiss francs. I do enjoy dining out but this seemed a little steep, as all the restaurants charged within this price range I have concluded that it is just the norm over there. It is the same with the shops, which were expensive and nothing was particularly out of the ordinary. However, in Switzerland they do have a higher rate of pay, meaning that the cost of living is essentially higher.

I hope you enjoyed my little review of my time in Lake Como and other ventures which we made whilst we were there. It is a lovely place to visit and I would visit again in the future, simply if it is just for its beauty.

Lucy
xoxo

The Much Smaller Than Anticipated Sephora Haul

First things first, I have to say that I had been rather excited for the past few months about my visit to the Sephora store in Milan. It's advertised as "the biggest in Europe" which rather excited me. So over the last few months I have been putting together a wish list and had essentially saved up for my purchases. All I had been going on about to my parents was this visit, to the palace which is formally known as Sephora.

I dragged my mum in with me and she said I'll carry the basket! As you can see from the picture I came out with barely anything! The brands in which they had were everything which I can buy in Britain from our department stores brands like - Benefit and Dior. I do like Sephora's individual brand which I bought a variety of things from last year which you can see in this post here. I had wanted to buy products from brands which are currently unavailable over here such as Kat Von D, Bite Beauty and Kate Somerville but this Sephora stocked none of them.

The only thing which I actually picked up which was on my wish list is the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Mandarin Muse which is a Essie Button influence. It always looks so beautiful on her, and she has similar colourings to me. I love the formula of these as I picked up two last year. In hindsight I wish I had also picked up the colours Always Red and Strawberry Kiss, which have now been added to next years list! What I did notice about these were that I am sure last year these cost around €7 but this I think with all the interest they have sneaked the price up to €10.

The Super Nourishing Lip Balm was a purchase in the ever so famous aisle of doom - simply as my lips were so dry from the humidity of the Italian weather being way over 30 degrees everyday and my lips just not being used to it. But I have to say it did the job, and for €4 it was a great additional find.

There was a Sephora nail varnish stand were everything was on sale, this dark sparkly pink in the shade Sweet Revenge (not available online) really caught my eye and my mum took a shine to it too. So we decided to share it and at just €2 it was a risk worth taking.

And that concludes the smallest ever Sephora haul, which has probably ever been posted by a blogger! But there we go, and I was very disappointed but hey ho! I would love to make a Sephora order online butt the minimum of £75 and £10 is a little too excessive for me liking.

Have you found the Sephora stores in Europe to be disappointing?

Lucy
xoxo

Kate Moss Nude Collection - Shade 45

This week I headed to Boots as there has been so much buzz around the recent release of the new Rimmel Kate Moss collection. She has released a range of lipsticks and nail varnishes which all fall into the 'nude' category.

They were not all available but as soon as I swatched the shade 45 as it was right up my street. It is still definitely a nude shade, but it has more of a pink undertone which suits my skin shade. I am not a huge nude lipstick fan as they seem to wash me out, but I was surprised at how lovely this looks on me. It is pale, but it adds just the right amount of colour the lips, a kind of a my lips but better shade.

In the collection there are five shades, and I have also got my eye on 42, which had more of a peachy undertone. They feel smooth and soft on the lips, and add some additional moisture. I think there is a shade for everyone as the line contains different shades to suit a range of skin tones.

Have you tried any of the shades from this collection?

Lucy
xoxo

July Favourites

July has been my favourite month of this year so far, I turned 21 and I've been on a girls holiday to Lanzarote, and I've just been able to spend some quality time with both family and friends since finishing university for the summer. Many of these items I took on holiday, and I found them so reliable.

I have been meaning to pick up a Lush Lip Scrub for ages now, and I finally popped in to the store and picked up the Bubblegum flavour. This has worked brilliantly for when my lips have been extremely dry and it has helped keep them replenished and stop them from cracking. It basically takes off the loose bits of skin on the lips which can cause irritation.

Rimmel Rita Ora Nail Polish in Go Wild-er-ness is a lovely pale lilac, which has been great for this time of the year, adding a splash of colour across my nails. I really like the formula of these, and it lasted a good 3-4 days before chipping, and needing to be topped up, For £2.99 they are such a good drugstore find and I highly recommend them, and there is a great array of colours within the range.

Clinique Moisture Surge has been great for my currently very dehydrated skin, I took this on holiday and added so much needed moisture back into my skin to help rehydrate it. My sister has this and she gave me the sample size to test out on holiday, and I really like it. It is going straight to the top of my wishlist.

Rimmel Good to Glow in 003 Soho Glow is something a great addition to my summer makeup bag. On holiday I mixed this in with my moisturiser to add an overall glow to my face, it is not over shimmery or glittery, just the perfect amount of additional glow.

The Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in L'Eclatante is fast becoming my favourite lipstick, I got it off my best friend for my birthday, and its such a great, vibrant pink. I have really been into bright lipsticks at the moment, and this has been a firm favourite recently.

What have you been loving throughout the July?

Lucy
xoxo

What I Took to the Pool/Beach

I am currently suffering from a major bout of holiday blues, whilst writing this post. Last week I had a lovely week's holiday in Lanzarote which you can find out all about here. Whilst on my holidays I took a visit to the beach at Peurto Del Carmen, I have to say I pretty much despise the beach I just cannot be doing with the sand getting everywhere and all over me it makes me feel so uncomfortable. But all the girls wanted to go so I faced me fears and went, it was a beautiful beach but I still didn't particular love the experience.

This post is dedicated to everything which I took with me to the beach in my bag.
I loved reading Summer at Shell Cottage by Lucy Diamond, it was a great holiday read, with a lively and loving story line, I highly recommend it if you wanted a light but joyous read.
I have had my Havaianas flipflops for quite a few summers now, I bought them whilst in Italy as they were much cheaper. I love the clash of colours and how vibrant they are, I don't think that flipflops all round are particularly comfy but these are the comfiest I've ever tried and are so convenient for the pool.
Elle magazine is something which I have been reading since I was 16, and I continue to read. I think it is the most fashion forward magazine out there, and I love drooling over all the high end fashion pages which I will never be able to afford.
The Garnier Ambre Solaire Protection Spray Factor 30 was my best friend on the holiday, I burn so easy as I am so fair. I had to wear this all week as my skin just could not cope with anything less. I like the spray bottles as it makes application much easier and the formula was not too greasy or oily.
I bought this Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze Face Sun Cream Factor 30 as usually oil based creams make me break out really bad, and hate that heavy feeling on your skin like you have an extra layer on top of your skin. I would definitely recommend this it was lighter and thin to apply to the skin, and it didn't have too much of a negative effect on my skin which was an added bonus.
My trusty iPod touch much be at least 5 years old but it's still going strong. It's so convenient for your holidays and can download games on it to keep you entertained.
My new DKNY purse featured in my Birthday Presents post which you can read here. My first outing using it was on holiday and I really like it, it is sturdy and the card compartments inside is so much easier for keeping everything together.

What are your beach/pool essentials?

Lucy
xoxo

Lanzarote

Yesterday early hours in the morning I landed home after a brilliant 8 nights away in Lanzarote, on a girls holiday. We stayed in the resort called Peurto Del Carmen which I haven't visited since I was 4 years of age, so it was pretty much a brand new adventure for us all. It was such a beautiful island which was very sunny ranging from 30-38 degrees everyday. One thing which me and friends noticed was how particularly windy the island is, whilst around the pool it was nice and breezy cooling you down. Some times though it was a little too windy and my hat would literally fly off my head and across to the other side of the pool with no notice. We was planning on a relaxing holiday, after two of my friends had just graduated and me and my other friend have just finished our second year of uni. We all felt we needed a chilled holiday, just sitting round not really doing much. But when we got there we realised how big the strip was in the Old Town, and we ended up partying till 4/5 in the morning most nights - we just could not resist!

We stayed just above the Harbour and our room was overlooking the sea which was rather delightful to wake up to. Within the town there is an Old Town and a New Town which was great as we had so many options of restaurants and bars to choose from each night. We went on a lovely boat trip where we were told we could see dolphin and turtles, unfortunately we didn't manage to see either which was rather disappointing. But we did get to jet ski and snorkel in the sea which was a truly amazing experience, and we also got unlimited amounts of the 'Lanzarote' punch. This was where I took a lot of my photos as there was just so much beautiful scenery surrounding the boat. I really enjoyed the holiday, and actually managed to pick up a bit of a tan for the first time in a while which I am rather pleased with.

Lucy
xoxo

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer and Catherine Audacious Lipstick

After my 21st Birthday Makeover you get the opportunity to get the £35 on the makeover back in products. So essentially the makeover is free! As mentioned in my previous post there was two other products which I initially chose, but they were both sold out. However, I am so happy with what I decided to pick up, which was the Radiant Creamy Concealer and the Catherine Audacious Lipstick.

The creamy concealer is something which has been on my wish list for a while and I was so happy to finally get my hands on it. As I am pale skinned I picked up the shade Vanilla (light 2), which is actually a really great match. It may be a little light once I am back from my holidays and hopefully have a tan but for most of the year it will be a perfect match. Many bloggers compare this to the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, so I am going to be comparing the two and I will post my verdict in a future post. I am having been testing it out briefly this week, and my first impression is that I really like it. I love the creamy texture and I think the coverage is medium which covers any blemishes well, and it also has a good longerity. At £22, it is expensive for a concealer and I think I will be using it quite sparingly as I don't want to waste it.

The audacious line from Nars, has been something which I have wanted to try for a while now. But with a £24 price tag attached to them it hasn't been something which I have rushed to buy, and have previously headed to MAC instead. The packaging of this is really luxurious with a shiny matte finish which is simple and sophisticated. I love that it has a magnet close inside, meaning you can ensure that the lid is secure and there is no way of it coming off. The colour of this is a mid toned orange, I don't own any lipsticks of this shade or similar so it is something fresh and new to my collection. The only orange toned lipstick which I previously owned is MAC Vegas Volt, is much brighter and bolder but looks great as a pop of colour to the lips. Catherine is going to be much simpler and easier to wear, and I can already see it becoming a firm favourite and having a secure place in the bottom of my handbag!

Lucy
xoxo

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne

I have wanted a Jo Malone fragrance for quite a few years now, and my mum must have picked up on me always going on about them! For my birthday she had been asking me for ideas and had been asking me the types of fragrance I liked. In the end she simply said that if I wanted one to just choose the one which I liked, as she didn't want to get it wrong. I finally decided on Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne  as the scent is so fresh and sweet which is what I really like. I never choose floral scents, I will always opt for something fruity. I was torn between this and Blackberry and Bay, but I felt as though the Blackberry and Bay was quite overpowering, and the Nectarine Blossom & Honey was more refreshing. When you spray it you can tell that it is more pure as the scent is just much stronger. The perfume contains nectarine, peach, cassis and a note of acacia honey. They are expensive as 30ml is £42, but I have been wearing it all this week and the scent lasts for so long. All the colognes also come in 100ml bottles which cost £85, but in the long term if it is your favourite scent it is definitely worth while splashing out.

Lucy
xoxo