Amsterdam MAC || Duty Free Haul

Recently my parents went on holiday to Amsterdam to celebrate their wedding anniversary and Amsterdam is known for having one of the worlds largest airports meaning a massive duty free area. So of course I gave them a list of a few things that I wanted from MAC and they also brought back a little surprise for me too so I thought I'd share with you the things I got because who doesn't love a MAC haul?!

The first thing I asked them to pick up was the satin lipstick in 'Spirit'. I knew I wanted a new MAC lipstick but couldn't think of which one to get and quite a few of my friends swear by Spirit so I thought it was worth giving a whirl. It's much darker than what I personally would usually go for but I'm really glad I chose it. It is definitely along the 'Kylie Jenner' theme so if you like lipsticks like Twig, Velvet Teddy, Brave, Whirl etc then you'd probably really like this one!

The second thing that I had on my list for them to pick up for me was actually Nightmoth lipliner because I needed a good lip liner for going underneath MAC's Sin lipstick and preferably one that could be used under Diva and Rebel too. It's a purple, burgundy toned red shade so it is quite versatile. I meant to ask for Nightingale because I think that would probably be a better multi-tasker for the three because Nightmoth is a totally different tone to Rebel however I got confused because of them being such similar colours with similar names! (a bit like Spirit and Stone...Mac why do you do this?!) However, I love Nightmoth under Sin and it can be really nice under Diva if you want to do an ombre lip or if you just want to make it that little bit darker. As it was Christmas time it also came in this gorgeous limited edition, purple packaging too.

The last thing my mum and dad got me was a total surprise (well I think mostly my mum was involved in this one somehow haha!) and it was one of the limited edition Christmas eye shadow palettes. Firstly, how beautiful is this packaging!? I absolutely love the pretty colours on the front and the ridged black part adds a nice touch too. I actually don't have a lot of MAC eyeshadows, when it comes to eyeshadow I'm very much an Urban Decay girl so I was happy to have some more to play with. This palette is the Enchanted Eyes Navy set and it has six different shades in it which I think you can buy individually if you wish too. The first one is a nice highlight shade, the second is a good sweep all over the lid shade with the third shade in the crease to blend it out. The silver shade would make a gorgeous smoky eye especially at this time of the year and the navy shade has a stunning shimmer through it and finally there's a matte grey/black which would be fab as eyeliner or for smoking out that eyeshadow. It comes with a little double sided brush too so it would be a really nice one to take for a weekend away. 

What do I need to pick up next from MAC? Have you tried any of these products?

Lots of Love,

A 

♥

Topshop, Asos, Office, Nike, New Look & More || Haul

It's been a long time since I've done a fashion haul on my blog and it's mainly down to the fact that I've not really bought loads of clothes at once for ages. Then when I do, I have all the good intention of keeping them to photograph before I wear them but realistically that never actually happens. However this time I have managed it (mostly) so thought I would share them with you!

 The first thing that I bought was a new pair of Converse and this time I went for the leather version, my reasoning being that I wanted to be able to keep them clean, easier! I already have two pairs of white converse but both are manky and I only ever get down to washing them when I want to wear them. I bought these ones from Office and they were around £60 which I don't think is too bad. I do like them but I feel like they make my feet look and feel massive and I'm only a size 5! The leather style has definitely been much easier (and quicker) to clean so I would recommend them for that. 

 I desperately needed new bikini's for Summer especially because I live at my gyms swimming pool. I really wanted ones with cup sizes because they fit so much nicer on and I found that Asos was the best place to shop for cup sized bikini's. The first one I bought was this gorgeous floral print one which I desperately wanted the matching high waisted bottoms for but couldn't get hold of.

The second bikini I bought was this Triangl look alikey which is an amazing dupe. The white colour makes your tan look fantastic and the bra fits perfectly. Something to bare in mind about the bottoms are they're ever so slightly more revealing than your average bikini bottom but I kept them anyway because I like the look of the matching set!

I fell in love with this navy/grey and white striped top from Topshop. It's not a crop top but it's a really short t-shirt. It looks amazing with high waisted jeans or under dungarees.

From Nike I picked up this mesh crop top for the gym, again this one is slightly longer than a crop top but you would definitely have to wear this with high waisted bottoms if you didn't want to show any skin. This is amazing for the gym, it's dry fit so it absorbs sweat and because of it's loose, mesh material it really helps to keep you cool. I don't feel very comfortable just going to the gym in a sports bra so this is the perfect way to show off your coloured sports bra, stay cool and not be revealing. It was around £30 which is quite expensive for a gym top but that's because it's Nike and has the dri-fit technology. 

I also picked up a neon yellow sports bra from H&M because it looks amazing under all gym tops. This one especially looks great under the Nike mesh top. It isn't the most supportive sports bra ever but it does the job for me and it was under £10 too.

My gym is absolutely roasting especially when it's hot outside so I bought some new shorts to switch my yoga pants for. I apologise for the creases but I pulled these straight out the ironing basket. I chose a plain white pair and a plain black pair because they'll go with everything and both are from New Look.

Another fitness themed item of clothing I bought was this swim suit from Tesco. I really wanted a swimsuit for doing swimming at the gym because it just seems a lot more practical than a bikini and I wanted to look like I was 'serious' about swimming hahaha. At the same time I didn't want to look like a frump and this was the best one I found on the market and believe it or not it's actually from Tesco!! It gives you an amazing bust because it's quite low cut and because of the ruching on the front and the side panels it is quite slimming. I wear this to death because it is stylish but at the same time very, very practical so ideal for anyone who does swimming for exercise purposes!

Last gym related purchase... I promise! I bought two t-shirts from New Look, just a plain black one and a plain grey one. They do fit a little on the small side so I'd recommend going up a size if you're inbetween sizes.

I never, ever thought that I would buy into the dungaree hype. They just remind me way too much of growing up so they still feel a little uncool to me however lately I've seen people looking amazing in them. I'm definitely not into the long ones because I'm so small they would just look ridiculous on me but I do love the short ones. These look amazing paired with the Topshop stripey t-shirt that I showed above and are also from Topshop.

My last purchase and probably my most favourite purchase that I've bought in a long time is this yellow rain coat from Topshop. I wanted it for a while but wasn't sure because it might not go with much being yellow but when I went into Topshop and it was the last one in stock I just had to get it. It is out of stock online so if you want this, I'd hurry to your local Topshop to see if they have any left. It's so cute and makes me feel like Paddington bear. I think the little checked sleeves and hood are a really cute touch however if you don't like the sleeves you can roll them down. Although it is expensive for a rain coat at £55, I've already had my moneys worth out of it and will continue to do so therefore I think it's worth the money! Especially because in Britain you are always, always going to need a rain jacket.

I hope you liked seeing the fashion bits that I've picked up recently. Let me know if you like them and   how you would style them up. 

Lots of Love,

♥

Boots || Haul

I went to Boots ... and I bought a whole load of things that I didn't actually need so naturally I'm going to share them with you so you can buy things you don't need too hahaha (amn't I an enabler!). In all fairness the majority of this haul resulted from my skin having got a good tan so technically I needed some new make-up to match it!

I bought a tanning accelerator because even though I have managed to get a bit of a tan, I'd quite like to darken it at any given chance. Yes I am a tanaholic haha. You can use this both for outdoor tanning and for the sunbeds too (not that I'm advising to use them) and it smells like oranges. It's really moisturising... as for does it make you more tanned? Probably not, maybe it would if you were under a really strong sun but I think I've tanned the exact same as I would have without it! So I think I won't bother buying anymore tanning accelerators once this one is used up.

One thing I did actually need was a new mascara and everyone has been raving about the Maybelline Lash sensational mascara so I thought I would give it a go. I've heard a lot of rumours about it being a really good dupe for Benefits Roller lash which I've been wanting to try. Since it's been so highly raved about I do have high hopes but I'm so fussy with mascara's and haven't managed to find many from the drug store that I actually like so we'll see how it goes. I'll definitely do a full review on this letting you know my thoughts on it.

Another tan inspired purchase was the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer. I was finding that all my concealers were too light for me (you know that dreaded white under eye look) so I needed a darker one. I went for another cult favourite because I only really need it for under eyes rather than blemishes and anything that promises to brighten those dreaded eye bags sounds ideal to me.

I don't usually suffer from blemished skin so the main reason for me to wear a foundation is to give my face a little bit of colour. So recently I've been finding foundation far too heavy for what I really need so I decided to pick up a BB cream. The only reason I chose this one was because there was some kind of deal on with the concealer but it sounds like it should give a nice sheer coverage. I got this in the shade medium which I would probably class as 'dark' but you know what Rimmel are like with their shades!

I don't know how I ended up purchasing the Toni & Guy salt spray...I'm going to blame it on my friend Robyn for being an enabler. It was really cheap though and so far I have been so impressed, I definitely think a full post will be coming soon on this one! It's quite a small bottle but a little goes a long way.

I'm not going to lie,  the sole reason I ended up purchasing this one was because its erm.. unusual? name caught my eye. Hats off to Soap and Glory's marketing team because their clever names and packaging 100% work. I liked the concept of a tinted moisturiser and this one has lots of vitamins in it. Soap and Glory products usually are really good so I think this one will become one of my favourites. 

I had to stock up on my Eyelure 101 eyelashes. These are always on 3 for 2 which works out at about £26 for 9 sets of eyelashes which I don't think is too bad considering you can re-use each lash (if you're careful) about 5/6 times. I might do a whole separate post on how to look after fake eyelashes if you would like to read it? I did of course buy 3 packs but just for the sake of the photos used one. 

What should I be picking up on my next Boots trip?

Lots of Love,

♥

Beauty || Haul

You know me, I love a good make-up haul and when buying some essentials I always end up adding in a few new extra bits. Although it's a small one, some of these bits are so beautiful that I needed to share them with you.

The first thing I got was another bottle of Ruth Crilly's dry shampoo in the scent New York. I use a lot of dry shampoo because I am quite bad at timing my hair washes and this one is my favourite dry shampoo to use. 

I needed a new liquid eyeliner and L'oreal appear to have discontinued the one that I have used for years and years and I didn't know which one to try. I decided Make-Up Revolution was a safe bet because they've never let me down with any other product that I've tried. Obviously when paying a postage fee, you can't just buy one thing? (Please say I'm not the only person who does this???) I decided to get the rose gold foil eyeshadow because it's something I've been after for a while now and it's always out of stock so I grabbed it while it was there. I also picked up one of their one pound blushers because I always lose blushers and for a pound you can't go wrong.

I bought one of the 'new' Tanya Burr lip gloss shades because I love her lip glosses. Not just because they're made by her but they really are pigmented, smell nice and long lasting. I always rant and rave about them so I'm sure by now you've all grasped how amazing I think they are. I picked the shade Finding Nemo because it's a really pretty coral colour perfect for Summer. It reminds me of Nars Orgasm in lip gloss form because it's a pinky coral with the same flecks of gold through it.

What beauty bits do I need to pick up next?

Lots of Love,

♥

New Look, Nike, Topshop & Asos || Haul

I've been shopping! You know when you're trying to save money but you get that unstoppable urge to shop?? Well that happened to me although this haul is collective and I've bought all this over the space of a few months. I made the crucial mistake of wearing some of these bits before photographing them and then it's been ages until I've had them all washed at the same time and during daylight. So I may have sneaked a few of these from the ironing basket just so I could show you (while they're still in the shops).

The first thing I bought was this checked shirt which has a collar so automatically I loved this. I don't have to wear uniform at work anymore but because I work with children we can't have low cut tops which is harder than you'd think! So I thought this would be perfect for work too and I love grey.

I've been thinking about joining a gym which is something I never thought I'd hear myself say but I've been trying to eat healthier and I don't have time to exercise while I'm at uni so I'd like to join one over the Summer. To motivate myself I bought some nice new gym clothes because lets face it thats the best way to get a girl who hates exercising into the gym. This top is from New Looks sport range and they have some really nice things at a cheaper price if you don't want to splash out. I picked this top because I loved the colour and it's nice and loose so it won't stick to you when you're all sweaty, lovely. This cost £12.99 and they do a gorgeous matching hoodie and gym trousers too.

The hardest thing on deciding what to wear when it comes to the gym for me is definitely the bottom half. So I decided to get some of the Nike tights because they're really comfy and they're pretty much a gym necessity. These are the Nike pro ones, are dri-fit and only cost £28.

Obviously a necessity for us girls is a sports bra, I am absolutely clueless with how sports bra sizing works, they come in xs, s, m and l etc rather than bra sizes. It took me several online orders and a trip to JD Sports changing rooms to work out so for sports newbies like me it doesn't work on your dress size or your bra size it's more a combination. So definitely don't do a me and think you can just guess because you'll be guessing until you actually go to store and try on which is comfiest! 

Excuse the fact that I had to grab this out the ironing basket to photograph it. I got this shirt from New Look and I love how it looks either tied around my waist or worn open with a vest top underneath. 

I've been after a pair of white jeans since last Summer but they were always out of stock in Topshop but they've finally come back in so I was first to grab a pair. These are the perfect crisp white colour although with a puppy I'm not entirely sure they will stay that way for long! The solar eclipse was going on whilst I was trying to take a few of these photos so that's why the lighting is a bit patchy in places.

I bought two white t-shirts, this one is from New Looks basic range so I think it was pretty cheap and it's just a long white t-shirt which looks good under checked shirts like the one above or on it's own. I also bought a second one like this but it was more of a chiffon material and looks amazing when paired with a statement necklace.

I hate being cold so this time of year is difficult for me because it's too hot for jumpers but then it's still a little chilly for just t-shirts so I love light knit jumpers like this one. It's in a gorgeous mint green colour too so it's perfect for the warmer weather and to chuck on with jeans to work or to uni.

I also bought a purple one for the same reason as I bought the green one. It's a nice pretty shade for Spring, apologies again for the eclipse playing havoc with my lighting. This one has a T bar back which is a nice touch, it's not too low that it shows your bra but it's low enough to add a little something.

The last thing clothes wise that I've bought recently is this Sleeping Beauty jumper from Asos, how could I not by this?? It's everything that I love, pink, purple, Disney, sleeping beauty and a really soft, cosy jumper. I love this, yes I'm 20 not 2 but I'll wear this lounging around, running errands, walking the dog, if I ever go back to Disneyland and I even wear it when popping to family/friends.

I hope you enjoyed seeing some bits and bobs that I picked up for my Spring/Summer wardrobe! Where have you been finding your S/S clothes from this year?

Lots of Love,

♥