Monthly Favourites // April 2014

Before now, I had never written up a 'Favourites' post. I don't tend to buy a whole batch of new products frequently, so I often use the same things most days. But, then I thought that it would be fun to make, and so I've decided that each month I will try and pick out five items (whether that be fashion or beauty) and a few extras, like TV and music. So, here we go!

Fashion & Beauty

1. Boots // Topshop. 

I think by now we all know how much I love these. I even wrote a post about my chunky black boot obsession the other day. They are super-duper comfy, give me height without feeling as if I'm wearing heels, and they go with pretty much any outfit.

2. Sunglasses // Primark. 

I have a lot of difficulty finding sunglasses that both suit and fit me, because I have a small head. These fit perfectly though, and I love the style of them. It's been nice to actually need to wear sunglasses with this sunnier weather, and they were only £2!

3. Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon // Plum Russian.

I've spoken about this before, but it's been on my lips almost every day since I bought it. The plum colour is beautiful, glossy and flattering, and it's really moisturising and wears well too.

4. Sleek Face Form Palette // Fair.

Yet another thing I've talked about a few times. This Rose Gold blush is the perfect way to perk up your face when it's a little "bleh". The highlighter does the same thing, giving a natural glow. And, the contour shade is a really great colour for my pale skin, despite looking a tad dark in the pan.

5. Tanya Burr Nail Polish // Penguin Chic. 

This is the only Tanya Burr product I have, and I love it to bits. It's a really great neutral colour that goes with any outfit (although I don't really care when my nails and clothes don't match) and the formula is amazing. Long lasting, shiny nails in a gorgeous colour? Yes please.

Scuff marks from crossing your ankles not included

Other

1. TV // That '70s Show. 

I've been going through a rewatch of the entirety of this show this month, and I'm on season 3 now. I forgot how hilarious it is - it genuinely has me laughing out loud. A great teen sitcom with loads of '70s references if you're ever looking for one.

2. Music. 

I always make a monthly playlist on my 8tracks account, featuring the eight songs I've listened to the most that month. This month it features Kyla la Grange, Bright Eyes, The Black Keys and more so go have a listen!

The Chunky Boot Obsession

It began with my beloved studded Romwe boots, then spread to another Romwe pair (this time laced) and has resulted in this gorgeous Chelsea boot-styled number from Topshop. Being very petite and often a sufferer of very sore feet while wearing flat soles, chunky platform boots like this are a godsend.

Don't be mistaken by their height, each pair is incredibly comfortable and easy to walk in. They also do not look or feel clumpy at all, even with more delicate looking outfits. I like to wear all of these casually (dressed up on certain occasions too, though) but I do feel like the Topshop pair are a little more sophisticated looking, with the laced pair being on the opposite end of the spectrum, and the spiked pair a happy medium.

Being a black boot they do go with almost any outfit you could imagine, and provide a high level of comfort with that bonus height. You may see that my studded pair are suffering, they've been worn constantly for six months and now need resoled at the front!

If you don't own a chunky pair of black boots, what are you doing? Go try a pair on, you may be pleasantly surprised. And for those of you who share my growing obsession, let's not feel bad if we feel like buying yet another pair, okay? They are so versatile. As least, that's what I will keep telling myself.

P.S. And why not tell me what you would choose to wear with any of these boots? I always love getting outfit suggestions!

Review // JASON Brightening Apricot Scrubble Facial Wash & Scrub

I purchased JASON's Brightening Apricot Scrubble Facial Wash & Scrub (phew, that's a long name) about two months ago, and after using it since I feel a review is in order! As you may know, I have very dry, dehydrated skin. I do have the ocassional shiny t-zone or awful blemish also. But, when I look for an exfoliant, I'm more concerned in how well it gets rid of the dry skin and leaves the nice soft skin.

I was dubious when buying this because I hadn't tried anything from JASON before and because online, the "grit" looks quite large and possibly rough. However, this isn't the case. It lathers up nicely with a touch of water, and the exfoliant particles which are walnut powder successfully buff away any dry patches on my face, with the apricot oil leaving my skin feeling soft. At first I used this every day, but now this Scrubble has worked its magic so well that I use it every two to three days. It is gentle enough to use daily (and I do have fairly sensitive skin) while also getting rid of all that unwanted dryness. JASON products are also all natural, not tested on animals, and the packaging is made of recycled material. So that's a plus!

For around the £5 mark at Feelunique, I'd say this Scrubble (aka the cutest name for a face scrub ever) is definitely worth it. It smells gorgeous too, like apricots, obviously! My skin hasn't had any dry patches since using it, and I've even had less shine in the t-zone after a long day, which could also be down to this. You also only need a tiny amount each use, so this 113g tube will last a long time. Let me know if you've tried this, or any other JASON products before!

The Lydia Look // Teen Wolf 3x07 Inspired Outfit

I think by now we all know about my love for Lydia Martin from the TV show Teen Wolf, as well as my love for Holland Roden, the lovely lady playing her. Seeing as my last Lydia post featuring a hairstyle tutorial of hers went down so well, I thought it would be fun to make a little series. I plan on picking out my favourite looks of hers - whether it be a full outfit like today, or another hairstyle, maybe even a makeup look - and recreating them, to show you how you can too!

What I'm Wearing:
Shirt // Topshop
Skirt // Topshop
Shoes // Dune
Sunglasses // Primark

Today I went with an outfit from episode 3x07, where Lydia wears a denim shirt tied at the waist, and a purple floral skirt. I was debating going with another floral skirt (I don't have a purple one) but decided to just go for a speckled skirt in a similar colour. I couldn't work out what kind of shoes she was wearing, so went for a "Lydia-esque" pair I had, these black wedges. If in doubt, go for some heels as Lydia is always wearing some. She isn't wearing sunglasses in the show, but I literally could not go without them, it was so bright outside! I have a feeling she would go for big shades like these, though.

Lydia has also worn a similar look in another episode of Teen Wolf, but is wearing a black skirt instead. The general look is so simple to recreate - you can just pair a denim shirt with any skirt you like!

Other posts in 'The Lydia Look' series:
Teen Wolf Lydia Martin Braided Updo

Review // Rimmel Stay Blushed! Liquid Cheek Tint in Pop of Pink

Say hello to the Rimmel Stay Blushed! Liquid Cheek Tint in Pop of Pink, a blush I have been loving recently.

Although described as a "liquid cheek tint", I would actually describe this as more of a mouse formula, albeit on the runny side. This blends so nicely because of its liquid/mouse formula, and creates a really natural flush that can also be built up to a stronger colour. The colour of Pop of Pink is a pink verging on coral, so I think the name suits it well. I like to use a small stippling brush to pat and swirl the product on, but fingers do work well with it too.

Once applied, the blush sets to a matte finish. Sometimes I go for the matte look, but I on occasion I pair it with a highlighter to add some extra glow. And oh boy, when it is set there is no budging. The swatch on my arm was there for the entire day with very minimal fading, until I actively took it off with a micellar water.

Swatched and blended out

I think the formula and colour of this blush is great, especially for around the £4 mark. I wasn't particularly drawn to any of the other colours, but they are nice and wearable so I'd recommend that you give the range a look!

Brand New // Primark Patterned Shorts

As you know, every now and then I like to feature a newly purchased item and how I would style it. This time, I have something from Primark. I wouldn't quite call these a skort, but they are folded at the front which is why I was drawn to them, as well as the pattern.

What I'm Wearing:
Top // New Look
Shorts // Primark
Blazer // River Island
Shoes // New Look
Necklace // Kukee

At first I was dubious about these, as I have always had a love/hate relationship with the way shorts look on me. They aren't super high waisted, but they are high enough that I like them on me. They are also very short, which I know will turn some people off, but I like this - they make my very small legs look longer. Plus, the pattern and cut is pretty, and I like how the waistline is curved into a subtle V at the front.

For this post, I stuck with the colours similar to those featured in the shorts. I went for this grey lightweight blazer and navy slightly sheer top tucked in, and a pair of pinky nude heels. I rarely wear these because I prefer a much chunkier heel but I thought they went really well with the whole outfit. Also, I know I wear this Hamsa necklace all the time, but I loved how it complimented the pattern on the shorts!

Let me know what you think of these shorts, and what you would style them with!

Testing, Testing...

Being a blogger, it gives me an excuse to test out some makeup products, and so I thought I would share with you what these current products are, and what I have coming up on this blog, beauty wise.

If you have seen my recent haul you will recognise most of these products. I've been into my bases recently, and so picked up the Maybelline Baby Skin Primer, the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream (in Ivory), and repurchased Benefit's That Gal Brightening Face Primer after years of no use. With those, I've also purchased one of Rimmel's liquid Stay Blushed! Blushers (in Pop of Pink), and Benefit's Gimme Brow Gel (in Light/Medium).

With these products will obviously come posts! I've been doubling up on primers and foundations recently and so want to discuss this, and I plan on writing a post on my brow routine which now includes the Gimme Brow Gel above. And, I have a Spring blush post in the works too, now that my collection is growing.

I hope you liked this brief catch up, I think I may do this around once a month, perhaps with fashion posts too. It's nice to tell you what to look forward to!

What I've Been Up To // Easter Sunday at Loch Lomond

There is a form of depression, called Seasonal Affective Disorder. Basically, when the colder, darker winter months arrive, the brain is triggered to produce low moods. This is opposed with the summer, and I'm so glad the weather is finally becoming nice here in Scotland. I really do get in a much better mood when the sun is out and it is slightly warmer - I'm miserable when I'm cold. I just want to get out and do things, rather than staying wrapped up in bed like I do in the winter.

On Easter Sunday, a few members of my family and I headed to Loch Lomond for a little sausage sizzle on the beach. After visiting a university applicant day on the Saturday (which was full of excitement and nerves on my part) it was just so lovely getting to sit down, eat food, and relax while looking at a beautiful view and drinking up the sunshine. We tend to gravitate to one of the beach areas around the loch when the weather is like this, and I always get snap happy so I thought I'd show you the gorgeous landscape.

Getting annoyed while skimming stones - my record was seven

I hope everyone that celebrates it had a lovely Easter - what did you do over the holiday?

Haul // Forever 21, New Look, House of Fraser & Boots

Well, it's safe to say I'm going on a spending ban again - or at least not buying lots of things at once for a while. These items were sadly all purchased in the same day, so I thought I'd share to pretend I had an agenda, and not that I just got spending happy. I did actually pick up a few things in Primark recently too, but forgot to include them here. I have outfit photos already taken including them though, so you'll still get a look!

Denim jacket // New Look
Cami // Forever 21
Kimono // Forever 21
Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in Ivory // Boots
Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Red Sunrise // Boots
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush // Boots
Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Rose Hip // Boots
Rimmel Stay Blushed! Blush in Pop of Pink// Boots
Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in Nude // Boots
Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow in Permanent Taupe // Boots
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water // Boots
Benefit Gimme Brow Gel in Light/Medium // House of Fraser
Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer // House of Fraser

My defense to this very long list is that 1. the store wide 3 for 2 Boots offer was on, and 2. I didn't spend any money in House of Fraser as I used a gift card. But eh... let's ignore the rest. As always, I will feature the clothing items in blog posts at some point which can give you an idea of how they actually look on, so keep an eye out for those! I'm sure the makeup items will also be featured too. Let me know what you think of any of these items!