Sunday 18 September 2011

What's in my College bag?!

Hi everyone!
I only just started college so my bag is really tidy and currently just has all of my new school supplies in it, so I figured this was a good time to show what I keep in there. It's also kind of a back-to-school haul as this is all of the stuff I bought! So let's go...



First of all, my college bag is just a tote/shopper from Primark. For the first week of college, I was using a Cath Kidston printed shopper bag as they are super practical for school and college! They are a bit pricey at about £25 but they last for years so are definitely worth it! The only reason i'm not using my Cath Kidston for college anymore is that it was actually too big for me. I thought i'd need loads of room but I only have one course at college so I don't really, and it seemed silly carrying a big bag with not much inside! So I just got this Primark one. It's big enough for folders and books to fit in snugly without too much room, which I wanted. I'm not too keen on the tacky 'charm' on it or the green lining but it'll do for now!


The bag has one zip compartment inside, which I like, and two small open pockets. I like to keep my phone in one of the pockets, but the other isn't actually used. In the zip compartment however, I keep:
* A pen
* Scissors
* Glue Stick
* Sticky Notes - That way I don't lose them in my deep bag!


Ok, so in the main area of my bag, I keep:
* Folder with dividers/plastic wallets - WHSmiths and Wilkinsons
* 4 section A4 notepad - WHSmiths
* Small patterned notebook - The Works
* Random sheets from college.


* Makeup bag (used as pencil case) - Bodycare
* Umbrella - B & M
* Mini Pencil Crayons - Poundland
* Passionfruit Body Spray - Natural Collection at Boots


I also keep my college makeup bag in there, but i've not included it on this post as i'll be doing a seperate post on it soon!
So that's everything I keep in my college bag at the moment. I can't imagine it will change much over the year, apart from additional folders and more loose sheets! But you guys won't want to see that... I also keep an energy bar or some rice cakes in my bag to eat on short breaks inbetween lessons, but they vary each day :)

Hope you guys enjoyed this post and hopefully found it helpful in some way... ;)

Love Hayley
Xxx

Saturday 17 September 2011

College Clothing! ...

Hi everyone :)


As I mentioned in my previous post, I started College at the beginning of September and I just wanted to do a post for you all, to share a few of my college fashion 'essentials' with you. Starting at a new college is a nerve-wracking and stressful time for most people. There's lots of worries like meeting new people, travelling, being independent and managing the workload. But for someone with a profound interest in fashion and beauty, their main worry is probably 'what am I going to wear?'. It was for me anyway!


It sounds like a very shallow concern, but for me, fashion is how I show my personality. I'm generally a very shy person, especially in new surroundings, so I find fashion to be a good way of portraying myself to others, without even saying anything! So naturally, my mind started filling with lots of college outfit ideas and wonderful clothing combinations but after more thought, I realised some of my outfit ideas were not particularly practical! To get to college, I have to take a bus and then walk quite a lot, so I needed outfits to suit these needs. I imagine this is the case for a lot of other people too, which is why i'm going to share my 5 staple pieces for a college wardrobe :)

1. Leggings
A good pair of leggings can be so versatile and are so comfortable for lots of travelling. You can find them in different colours, patterns and styles at many places now so they are easy to work into your wardrobe. 

2. A Warm Coat/Jacket
This may seem obvious or boring, but a big warm coat is so important for me! There's nothing worse than walking in the freezing cold or getting rained on, so a big coat is a must. These can get pricey but it doesn't have to be the most fashionable one, just any that does the job and you feel comfortable in. 

3. Knitted Jumpers/Cardigans
I literally live in these in winter! I find them so comfy and warm, yet still fashionable. You can pair them with a bodycon skirt, jeans or leggings and some boots and you're good to go! I cannot say how happy I feel when i'm in big jumpers or cardi's, I love them.

4. Plain Shirts and Blouses
Simple, classy and stylish. I love the look of a sheer oversized blouse tucked into a skirt or trousers. They just look so effortless but so stylish and sophisticated. They're also great in neutral colours like brown, black and cream as they go with so many outfits and can be worn so many ways. You could wear the same blouse every day for a week (if you washed it of course) and make it look so different each day. Perfect!


5. Simple Skirts or Dresses
I love wearing skirts and dresses in the colder weather, which seems a little backwards as we usually wear them in summer. But I actually prefer them with some thick tights and warm scarves in the winter. They can be very versatile so are easy to mix and match throughout college time, and I find them to be quite comfy for travelling in (as long as they aren't super short and tight of course). 


So there we have my 5 must-haves for keeping you comfy and warm yet still stylish and chic at college! I hope you found them helpful and interesting, and that you can adapt them to suit your style and needs. 


What are your college/work clothing staples?

Hayley
Xxx

Friday 16 September 2011

OOTD 16/09/2011 x

Hi everyone! 

So I have another Outfit of the Day post for you today. OOTD's are actually one of my favourite blog posts to read, as I get so inspired by seeing other people's outfits and how they style their clothes, so you may see quite a few from me! Today I had to go to college quickly and then I went shopping a little, so my outfit is just simple and easy to wear. My makeup was also super simple and natural as I wasn't really going anywhere. Hope you like it and let's get into it!




Clothing i'm wearing:
* Brown Cardigan - New Look
* Dress, worn as top - Miss Selfridge
* Jeans - New Look
* Belt - New Look
* Shoes - ASDA, for only £13!

Makeup i'm wearing:
* MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation
* Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer
* Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder
* Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara
* EOS Lip Balm in Lemon Drop

Hayley
Xxx

Thursday 15 September 2011

OOTD 15/09/2011

Hi everyone!

Just a quick Outfit of the Day post today! I'm not going anywhere special, just out and about getting things done so my outfit isn't too spectacular, but hey, it's comfy and keeps me warm so it doesn't matter :) So here's my outfit! (Please excuse the awkward poses haha)





Clothing:
* Camel Cardigan - New Look
* Printed Shirt - Primark
* Bodycon Skirt - Peacocks
* Brown Belt - New Look
* Patterned Tights - New Look
* Brown Moccasins - River Island

Makeup:
* Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
* MAC Studio Finish Concealer
* Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder
* Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Liner - Black Ink
* Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara
* New CID Cosmetics i-gloss in Spice Berry

Hope you enjoyed!

Hayley
Xxx

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Oh August...

Hi everyone!

I'm back! It really feels like i've not blogged in months. But actually, I think it's only been about one month. August went by so quickly yet painfully for me, and truthfully, I feel like I wasted the month. I was at home a lot of the month and had plenty of oppurtunities to blog but every time I tried to, my heart just wasn't in it and I didn't feel in the mood. The main reason for this being the fact that I was incredibly stressed throughout August.

I'd made a late application for college back in June, and i'd been told that a place on the course was unlikely. I kept trying at various times all summer though, and when it came to the middle of August I still didn't have a place and I began to panic. Various things had happened that meant I didn't want to go to my other school anymore and college was the place I wanted to go so badly! So for the rest of August I carried on visiting the college and enquiring and gradually got more stressed and run-down and reached quite a low point in life for me. At the end of August, however, I got my Exam results back. I then went from being so mentally tired, to being absolutely ecstatic! I'd got great results that I was over-the-moon about and went straight to college. They interviewed me and sent me home. An hour later I recieved a call informing me I had a place on the course! I thanked them and danced around my house with tears of joy. It was the best feeling in the world!

So yes, August brought me tears, anxiety and lots of stress. But it also brought me a feeling of relief and joy that i'd never felt before. And although i'd had a really tough month, I came out of it feeling 10x happier and it was the best end to an awful month! I hope you can understand that I didn't want to blog during that time. But now that I am finally at college and at a really comfortable point in my life, you can expect blog posts a lot more regularly!

I hope you enjoyed - if that's the right word - this more personal post. I tried not to make it too detailed or depressing! Just wanted to give an update :) normal blog posts shall now resume!

Hayley
Xxx

Thursday 11 August 2011

Update + FOTD!

Hi everyone, sorry I have been a bit MIA the past week, but i've found myself quite busy during the days which meant no time to blog. And then the past few days I didn't feel in the right mood to blog after watching all of these horrible riots on the news and seeing all of the awful damage being caused. But it looks as though most places have been calm recently and work can now be started towards cleaning up the aftermath of the riots, which is at least some good news.

Bad news aside, however, i've had quite a busy week, seeing friends and getting a lot of stuff organised in my house and such. I am working on fitting time to blog into my days, even when i'm busy though so posts should hopefully become more regular :)

Seeing as I was doing this 'update' post today, I thought I may as well include a Face of the Day picture for you. My makeup was very simple, however I added a pop of colour to brighten my face a bit, as we had quite miserable weather today. And once you get to know me, you'll know that I really am a very neutral kinda girl when it comes to everyday makeup, so I only really add a pop of colour like this when i'm feeling particularly adventurous! But hey ho, here's my face! :


Makeup used:
*MAC Studio Fix Fluid - NC20
*Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - Light 2
*Bobbi Brown Touch Up Stick - Beige 3
*Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder - Pale Yellow 1 
*Natural Collection Eyeshadow - Asteroid
*Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara - Black 01
*Clinique Long Last Lipstick - Rose Shimmer 61

What's your favourite product to brighten up your face with?
Xxx

Wednesday 3 August 2011

NOTD: Summery Sky-Blue

Hi everyone!
If you saw my last blog post (Boots Mini Haul) you'll know that I brought a nice new blue nail polish from Ruby & Millie. Well I was quite excited to try out the polish so painted my nails in it today.

First of all, I love the colour! It's a really summery and pretty sky blue shade and is perfect for these bright summer days. I was actually looking for a nice summery shade of blue so i'm happy I found this one. However, i'm not too keen on the very unimaginitive name 'Blue' for the polish... But hey ho!

The polish is nice to apply, although it was a little gloopy which I presumed was down to it being stored in a really warm place, so I kept mine in the fridge for an hour or so earlier and it's now a lot easier to apply. It doesn't take too long to dry, which I like, and has quite a nice glossy finish.

Overall I really like this nail polish, and seeing as it was only £2.75, you can't grumble! I'll be getting lots of wear out of this polish during the rest of Summer, and I think it will be nice for Winter too.

What do you think of the colour?
Xxx



Tuesday 2 August 2011

Mini Boots Haul!

Hi everyone! I'm blogging from my phone today so I hope this post works, and looks ok! If not I apologise :)
Anyway, I popped into Boots today to get some moisturiser and whilst in there I found quite a few unexpected bargains - which you can see (hopefully).

Ok so first of all there was a nice little '2 for £4' offer on all Nivea Daily Essentials products, and as my moisturiser is from this range I managed to stock up on two. Each tube is usually £3.98 so I basically got two for the price of one :)

Then I noticed my favorite Radox Smoothie shower gels were on offer too, so I picked up two. I got the Coconut and Almond one and a Tropical one. They were half price so were £1.40 each I think. Again I got two for the price of one hehe!

The most exciting purchases I found, however, were from Ruby & Millie. I only found out today that R&M have actually been discontinued, so was quite surprised to find a load of their products with 75% off. I love R&M eyeshadows and always have done as it used to be my Mothers favourite makeup brand when I was growing up, so she used to let me experiment with her R&M shadows while she put her own makeup on. My first proper makeup product was actually a gorgeous blue R&M eyeshadow. So anyway, there were a few products I managed to pick up for a bargain price today:
Eyeshadow pen in Bronze/Gold - £3
White eyeliner pencil - £2.75
I-define pens in Silver and Bronze - £3
Nail polish in Blue - £2.75

So that's all of my little bargains today! Overall I saved £54 on my whole shopping trip which made me very happy! :) i'm excited to try out my new products and may includecthem in future posts.

Did you snap up any bargains from the Ruby & Millie reductions?
Xxx


Monday 1 August 2011

Makeup Tag!

Hi everyone! I was struggling to think of a blog post to do today, so thought i'd do a Tag post that I saw on Beauty She Writes blog, which you can see here. So here's the questions:


SKINCARE

How many times do you wash your face daily? 
2

What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)
Oily

What is your current facial wash?
Bobbi Brown Lathering Tube Soap

Do you exfoliate?
Yep, about once or twice a week

What brand do you use?
Liz Earle 

What moisturiser do you use?
Nivea Daily Essentials Oil Free Moisturising Day Cream (for oily skin)

Do you have freckles?
Nope

Do you use eye cream?
Nope

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
Yes I do :(

Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
Not yet, and I don't think I will

MAKE-UP

What foundation do you use?
MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC20

How about concealer?
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection in Light 2 for undereye circles and Bobbi Brown Touch Up Stick in Beige 3 for blemishes

Do you know your undertone color?
Yellow I think

What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I don't use them a lot, but I like wearing them sometimes if I want a more dramatic look

Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yep

What brand of mascara do you use?
Clinique at the minute, but I like Maybelline for a drugstore brand

Sephora or MAC?
Well i've never been to Sephora unfortunately, so MAC 

Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
Nope

What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
Kabuki brush for foundation and powder, blush brush for blush and eye brushes

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
At the minute, I use a pale eyeshadow as a base

For the face?
Yes, I'm using 17 Photo Flawless Primer at the moment

What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
I don't have a fav colour, but I mainly like brown or bronze kinda shades

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
Usually gel :) 

How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Not very often, it's usually with mascara!

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
They're a bit too messy with me.. 

Do you use mineral makeup?
I have a few mineral products but I generally don't use mineral makeup

What is your favorite lipstick?
I'm not a big lipstick person so i've not yet found my fav!

How about lipgloss?
Clinique Superbalm Moisturising Gloss in Currant 09

What is your favorite blush to use?
A Clinique one, but the name has rubbed off so I dunno which colour :(

Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
I've looked but never have

Do you like drugstore makeup?
Yep, for things like eyeshadows and stuff

Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
Nope

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
I've thought about it and probably would when I'm older and have time

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
Not usually, but eyeliner and mascara sometimes get messy

Name a makeup crime that you hate?
Really strong blusher or bronzer!

Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
Mainly neutral


Which celebrity always has great make up?
Umm, so many! Jessica Alba's always looks good though

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?
Foundation

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
I don't like to, as i'm really insecure about my skin but I have done a few times

Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
Depends how bad my skin is

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
I don't have one that i think is the complete best yet! I like different brands for different products

What do you think of Makeup??
It's a good way to change up your look and enhance the parts of your face you love and want to draw attention to, whilst concealing the parts you're more insecure about :)


I hope you all enjoyed my tag and learnt a little more about me! If you do the tag please let me know and i'll have a read :) 

Xxx

Sunday 31 July 2011

July Favs!

Hi everybody!
So, it's coming up to the end of July now and I wanted to share the things i've been loooooving with you :) There isn't really that many makeup products, as i've been wearing the bare essentials in the hot weather this month, and haven't felt like wearing eyeshadow and such when the sun is so hot. However, I do have a few none makeup items that i've loved :)

The first product i've really been loving this month is my MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation. I only bought this in the middle of June and i've been using it every day since then. It is a medium - full coverage foundation which might be a bit heavy for some people, however I find it doesn't feel heavy or clogged up on my skin like many i've tried. I apply it using my fingers or with a kabuki brush for heavier coverage. I'll be doing a full review of it soon so look out for that if you want to know more! 


My colour is NC20.

The next face product i've been liking is Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer. I heard sooo much about this from so many different beauty guru's and blogs that I eventually decided to try it. I got the colour Light 2, but didn't like the colour very much. I find it makes my skin look quite pink if i use it to cover blemishes or redness and I really hated it! However, I then tried it to cover undereye circles and I find it works quite well. I'm getting more sleep than usual recently so my dark circles are not as dark (thank god!) as they sometimes are, and this concealer works nicely for them. On days when I have really dark circles this isn't enough to cover them, though :(




The last makeup product i've been loving this month is the Benefit Posie Tint cheek and lip stain. I hardly ever wear bright colours on my lips, even in summer, but i've been using this on my lips to give a more subtle, yet still bright, colour. It's a really pretty flowery pink kinda colour and is prefect for summer. It stays on for a reasonable amount of time, too, even through drinking and eating. I use it with an SPF lip balm over the top for protection in the sun.  
                          




Next up is 2 Liz Earle products for the hands. I don't suffer from dry skin on my hands, however I do have really dry cuticles all year round. This means they always look flaky and cracked and horrible! But I discovered the Liz Earle Superbalm about 6 months ago and found it was amazing for my dry cuticles!!  It's a multi-purpose product that can be used on your lips, nails and cuticles. It has quite a grainy texture but also feels quite oily so feels as though it is exfoliating and adding loads of moisture at the same time, which I love! I'm now on my second pot and still love it. 



To accompany the Superbalm, I use the Liz Earle Hand Repair cream on my hands. This has quite a thick consistency and soaks into the skin quickly to keep your hands feeling moisturised. It has a very handy pump on the bottle which makes it nice to store in your bathroom for use after washing hands or on your dresser in your room. 

 The consistency:

Finally, i've been reading Lauren Conrad's novel 'Sugar and Spice' a lot this month. It's the second one in her L.A Candy series (I think!) and i'm really enjoying it! I love how it relates to her time in The Hills in parts and conveys the reality of life in L.A a bit more accurately. It's a nice, lighthearted book to read in summer and if you like The Hills, I definitely recommend you check it out!


So that's all of the things i've loved through July! I hope you liked them too. 
Xxx


Saturday 23 July 2011

Clinique Mascara Review!

Hi everyone!
I thought i'd do a review of what might be my favourite mascara i've used so far, today, which is the Clinique High Impact Curling mascara. This is the first mascara i've used where I really am surprised with the results, as I have quite long eyelashes naturally so many mascaras don't make a massive difference on me. The first thing I noticed about the mascara was that it gave my lashes a nice, natural curl (used with eyelash curlers) which I don't usually get very easily as my lashes are so long they don't curl very much. The curl also lasts ALL day (roughly 15 hours) on my lashes, too, which is pretty good!




I've found this mascara to be perfect for my very oily skin. Clinique mascaras have a special formulation in which the product can only be removed with warm water - so even eye makeup remover will not get it off. This means that the mascara stays put on your eyes through rain, tears and sweat, without even smudging, which is something i've never experienced in a mascara. My skin is usually too oily for even waterproof mascaras to stay put. Also, when you do wash off the mascara in warm water, it comes off in small little clumps which can then be brushed off of your towels or clothes, meaning no more mascara stains or those dreaded 'Panda Eyes'!!


The curved brush that comes with the mascara, makes it easy to apply on your lashes. Simply brush through lashes, then hold the curved side of the brush on the tip of your lashes for a few seconds, to guarantee a curl that lasts all day.



The only bad side of this mascara, for me, is the slightly plain looking packaging. I'm a sucker for good packaging and it usually influences my decision to buy a product a lot of the time. However, the packaging of this mascara is quite plain and boring, compared to the quite luxurious packaging of Estee Lauder and Lancome mascaras, for example. The price of the Clinique mascara is only £15 though, which means you can forgive the less glamorous packaging for such a good price tag (in comparison to the more common £18 - £20 price range). 




Have you ever tried a Clinique mascara? What are your views? 

Hayley
Xxx