House of Fraser Blogger Style Challenge

1) Oasis Embellished Collar Blouse - £38 2) Vero Moda Leather Effect Leggings - £25
3) Michael Kors MK5128 Rose Gold Watch - £229 4) Ted Baker Rocking Horse Ring - £39
5) Jaeger Olympia City Bag - £299 6) Radley Clare Floral Walker Umbrella - £30 7) Kurt Geiger Garfield Wedges - £220
8) Bobbi Brown Lip Colour in Desert Plum - £18 9) Shu Uemura Precise Volume Mascara - £20
All from House of Fraser

Eek my first blogger style challenge! I stumbled across this challenge from House of Fraser and just couldn't resist giving it a go. You can find it yourself here! The challenge is to create an Autumn/Winter look using new season pieces from the House of Fraser website, write about your key look then post a link to your blog post on the HOF blog. What could you win? £200 worth of HOF vouchers. How could you not want to try!

Overall I've gone for a simple, chic look focusing on the embellished collar from this lovely Oasis shirt. I love everything studded so this shirt is perfect to make a statement yet also appear elegant and girly! Mixing this with the Vero Moda leather look leggings creates a grungy twist on the tailored look. Everyone knows the famous Disco Pants are extremely popular right now and they are definitely sticking around for some time, these leather effect leggings are something a little bit different yet still holding the shine and flattering cut of Disco Pants, absolutely perfect for nights out in colder months.

Rose gold jewellery has hit the catwalk and high street in a major way recently and will still look fantastic as we get into a/w. The Michael Kors watch is a blogger favourite and I've been lusting over it for so long now, the rose gold makes a serious statement and is a nice change from standard gold. I'm matching this with the lovely rocking horse ring from Ted Baker, how cute is it?!

I'm all for oversized black bags, so when I saw this Jaeger Olympia City bag I fell in love. It's simple and chic, stunning and has a definite luxurious look about it. Mind you, so it should for £300! The next accessory is pretty much a necessity; this lovely floral umbrella from Radley, because let's face it, it will rain. It has a lovely vintage look and definitely worth the splurge!

These Kurt Geiger wedges are just divine and will definitely make a statement mixed with any outfit! Here however, I absolutely love the contrast in texture between the leather effect found in the leggings and the suede wedges, so this combination is just perfect. 

Last, but certainly not least, are my beauty picks for making this look more edgy! First of all the Bobbi Brown lip colour in Desert Plum, perfect. Plum/deep red colours are fantastic colours for a/w and this lipstick is full coverage, creamy and semi matte designed for the perfect application. The Shu Uemura mascara is perfect for building precise, volumized and dramatic lashes to really set off your make up.

What do you guys think about my look? Send me your links if you've also entered this style challenge, I'd be interested in seeing what you guys picked out from HOF!

Essie Tart Deco

Essie Nail Polish in Tart Deco - Boots/Superdrug - £7.99

I finally decided to jump on the Essie bandwagon when I discovered the diffusion line had been added to my local Boots. No idea how I missed that, but nevertheless here is my first Essie polish, Tart Deco. I used OPI Nail Envy as a base and top coat in the photo above as well as using two layers of Tart Deco. 

The shade is a wonderful, creamy coral which adds a vibrant burst to the nails. For me this is such a great summer shade and I wish I bought it earlier in the year! In bright light this polish can look quite neon...something which doesn't normally attract me and doesn't really suit my skin tone. However with just a light layer of gradual tan or a lovely sunkissed holiday glow, this is absolutely the perfect coral shade!

I don't think I can describe just how much I love the shape and design of the brush. It is just fantastic and makes applying it so simple and quick. The diffusion range carries an updated brush design which is really wide when pressed on the nail, meaning that just one or two strokes will leave the nail completely covered. The lovely creamy texture of the polish also helps with application; it literally just glides on to the nail with absolute ease. This is also possibly the quickest drying polish I've ever used and has really good staying power. 

Any negatives? £7.99, for me, is probably near the top end in terms of how much I'd be happy paying for a nail polish. Some people may find this too expensive for a polish, some may be willing to part with £20+ for one shade. The packaging, luxurious creamy texture, quirky polish names and overall ease of application just make it all worth it though. Since picking up this shade I've actually gone and purchased two more...stay tuned for further Essie posts coming soon:)

Week in photos #5

1) My beautiful Princess came to visit me earlier this week and she was so excited! It sucks so bad she can't live in our apartment. 2) Nandos for mine and Matthew's 2 and a half year anniversary, we're so romantic. 3) Amy is a good cook, yummy carrot and coriander soup with homemade bread yum! 4) Canoe club is so annoying; loads of kids messing around in canoes every week and screaming as loud as they possible can, go away! 5) Essie Tart Deco - review coming soon. 6) Constantly waiting for buses. 7) Face. 8) Went to Harvey Nichols and treated my mom to champagne cocktails for her birthday, number 1 daughter! 9) Had the absolute best curry in the world with the biggest naan bread, safe to say the waiter had absolutely no clue how to take a photo on Instagram haha! 

Weekend wishlist #6

1) Open Shoulder Asymmetric Tunic - Topshop - £16 2) Blot Powder Pressed - Mac - £20 
3) Bronzer in Desert Sun - Topshop - £12.50 4) Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser - Origins - £17
5) Zero Oil Instant Matte Finish for Shiny Places - Origins - £12 6) Essie Polish in Bikini So Teeny - Superdrug - £7.99
7) Moto Supersoft Skinny Leigh Jeans - Topshop - £38

1) I first saw this top on one of my absolute favourite bloggers, Lily, here. When I found the image on the Topshop website I thought it would've definitely been an item I scrolled right past because it honestly doesn't look that appealing to me. I'm so glad I've seen it on somebody though because it looks so much better! I will always have a thing for oversized, baggy tees that are perfect for throwing on for uni. It's really simple and would look great with jeans or leggings to create a casual look, as well as with statement jewellery, disco pants and chunky wedges for a night on the town! 

2) So I've been searching high and low for the 'perfect' powder to combat my skin type. I have an oily t-zone mixed with dry patches and it's pretty much just a nightmare to find products that work for both these problems. After researching and testing out a ridiculous amount of products over the years I thought I had found my true love in Mac's Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation and sure enough I've been using it for a long time and been through so many compacts. Recently though I find it leaves my face looking too 'made up' and if I touch up during the day it can leave my skin looking cakey and patchy. I've read endless reviews on Mac's Blot Powder and it just seems too good to be true, perfect for removing shine, setting foundation without noticeable texture as well as touching up throughout the day. I need to try this out asap!

3) I noticed this bronzer, as well as another shade, on Topshop's website this week and they just look adorable! It claims to be a bronzer, although without having swatched this yet, it looks to me more like a blush/highlighter duo. I will definitely be taking a closer look at this item and testing it out in store.

4) I haven't tried out Origins products before, mainly due to the price tag and because I've been using Clinique's skincare products since before I can remember and, until now, have been happy sticking to them. As mentioned above, I have an oily t-zone; this can develop during the day and I find myself touching up my powder multiple times. In the past I thought just changing my make up would help this but I'm now coming to terms with the fact that I may need to change my skincare routine and look for something to combat oil! Another one of my favourite bloggers, Aimee, recently posted about her Origins haul, here, and this cleanser was featured with a positive review. I feel like I absolutely definitely want to try this out, if I can splash out £17 for it...

5) Another Zero Oil Origins product. This 'Instant Matte Finish for Shiny Places' product claims to instantly blot up any oil to leave skin looking matte without over drying. I feel this would be perfect for applying before make up, although Origins say it can be used over make up as well. 

6) I purchased my first ever Essie nail polish this week; Tart Deco, review coming soon. I absolutely love it and I can now see myself spiralling into an Essie addiction. For £8 it's definitely at the top end in terms of how much I would be happy paying for a nail polish. This shade, Bikini so Teeny (coolest polish name ever?) is a lovely shimmering sky blue from the Summer collection now available in selected Boots and Superdrugs.

7) Last on my wishlist is a pretty boring item, but as it happens I don't actually own a pair of jeans. Not even one. It seems the Leigh jean style in Topshop is the most popular these days and perhaps the most flattering. Every time I've bought jeans in the past I've just had the most horrific experience; they'll fit my legs but that zip has no chance of going up, or they'll fit my waist but be way too baggy around my legs. I always hear positive reviews on the fit of these jeans, the only downside being they can fade really quite bad after just a couple of washes. Do you guys have any recommendations for jeans? Where's your favourite place to get them from?

DIY hair doughnut

 What you will need: an old sock and a pair of scissors! 

 Cut off the toe of the sock.

 You will be left with a tube type sock, ready for rolling!

 Start to roll the sock inwards starting at the top. You may need to pull gently on the sock to ensure it stays tight and rolled up nice and neatly.

 As you get near to bottom of the sock, pull the material over the roll to secure it in place. Cut off any excess so that it's neat and tidy.

 Finished sock doughnut, how simple!

 What you will need to create a bun using the hair doughnut: any brush, a bobble and a couple of bobby pins.

 Start by putting your hair up into a ponytail, this can be anywhere on the head depending on whether you want a low, high or on top of the head bun. It doesn't have to be particularly neat, depending on whether you want it to look messy or neat. Next, pull the hair through the doughnut and completely cover it with hair so that you can't see it. You will end up looking this attractive. 

 Once the doughnut is covered, carefully place a bobble over it and start to tease the hair in the bun so it isn't as tight.

 Tease the hair more depending on how messy you want it to look, I like it to look very messy! For the remaining hair outside of the bun, simply wrap it around the bun and hold it in place with a few bobby pins. If you want it to look a little more messy, pull hair from near the bun. I like to pull down my baby hairs from around my face to add to the effect. Finish with a light spray of hairspray.

Voilà!

I rarely wear my hair up but when I'm at university this is the perfect style for me. It's so quick and easy to do in a morning before rolling into lectures still half asleep. Here I used an old 'slipper' type sock, the ones that are a little bit fluffy and perfect for lounging around in winter. You can use any type you fancy but I find this creates a larger sized doughnut. It's best to find a sock that matches your hair colour just incase you haven't managed to cover all of it, but surprisingly I don't have that many blonde ones lying about. There's not much else to it really, just make sure you wash your sock first...

Week in photos #4

1) I hate maxi dresses but I'm in love with this one, featured in my weekly wishlist here. 2) Cheapy McCheap navy 'disco pants' for £20, bargain! 3) Newest purchase, studded black shorts for my holiday, I love them! 4) Went for a curry, went to the pub then went to the strangest club I've ever seen. 5) Myself and Zoe after a few too many 75p drinks. 6) Zoe after way too many 75p drinks and 'sneaky mushrooms'. 7) Zoe cooked us a lovely meal of chicken with brie and bacon, sweet potato, a few roasties and carrots yuuuum! 8) Went to VW festival mainly just for the penguins. 9) Finally purchased these brushes and I can't wait to use them! 

Weekend wishlist #5

1) Rocco Print Midi Dress - Asos - £22 2) Plaited Shopper Bag - Missguided - £26

3) Sussi Dress - Monki - 35 EUR 4) Aztec Racer Back Maxi Dress - Topshop - £34

5) Black Block Heel Ankle Boots - Dorothy Perkins - £35 6) Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers - Selfridges - £20 

7) Foundation Pump - Mac - £3.50

1) Basically I need this dress in my life. I rarely buy from Asos because I've yet to have a great shopping experience with them; I have always sent the majority of items back, clothes are quite often different colours when I've received them or the material is too thin etc. For £22 though this dress is a bargain in my opinion and I've wanted a midi dress for so long! Matched with black suede wedges and statement jewellery, this would make a perfect outfit! Why is payday so far away!

2) This reminds me of the Zara shopper bag I mentioned here but for a lot less money. Cheaper versions are popping up everywhere and I think this is the best I've seen. I don't know, however, if I'd rather spend a bit more to get the Zara one; I tend to go on the website and look at it every day, add it to my shopping bag but never actually purchase it due to the price tag. Decisions decisions.

3) Stumbled across the Monki website and fell in love with quite a few of their classic dresses and shirts. This dress caught my eye; it's so simple and elegant. I'd like to dress it up with lots of gold jewellery, it's so cute!

4) I never ever ever wear maxi dresses. Ever. However I fell in love with this dress in Topshop earlier this week when I tried it on and it's the first maxi dress I've tried that actually fit perfectly everywhere. I'm pretty short, so they normally tend to be way too long even with heels. This just about grazed the floor as well as being flattering around the waist and hips. I know I won't end up purchasing this item but it's made me realise I need to start trying things on I normally wouldn't!

5) I also found these earlier on this week in Dorothy Perkins. They're simple and classic style boots but with a metallic, edgy twist, with a pretty good price tag too! I must admit they don't look too appealing online, they look a lot better when worn. The only problem I found was that they had absolutely zero grip and they'd get dirty easily due to the material. I'd love this pair of boots for autumn, these are definitely something to think about!

6) Honestly, I haven't curled my eyelashes since I was about 14 and I acquired some horrendous curlers from Bodycare or somewhere similar. Recently though, I've started thinking I need to invest in a pair to get a little more curve out of them. Shu Uemura, from what I've seen, have the best reputation in eyelash curlers, but £20? Are they really worth that much money? After reading reviews it seems Mac's full body curlers are identical in design and give, pretty much, identical results for a bit less money. Does anybody have any recommendations?

7) Nothing too exciting here, I generally just need to invest in a pump for my Studio Fix foundation as I hate tipping/dipping into my bottle! 

Generally a very black and white wishlist this week, I just can't help myself! Hope you all have wonderful weekends!