OUTFIT | #212

jacket: Levi's; hoody: ASOS; turtleneck: MissGuided; jeans, boots: Topshop

There's nothing quite like a new turtleneck to add to your collection. It's pretty funny to me how opposed I used to be to the humble turtleneck and now I own somewhere in the range of 5 or 6. You live and learn, I suppose. Nearly all of mine are black. I don't really fancy myself as a spoken word poet and I hate jazz, but I do love the classic pulled-together look throwing on a black turtleneck quickly achieves.

I just wore this to run around and do some errands. I was a little bit warm in so many layers in the end but I just love this jacket. It's hard to resist throwing it on over everything. The man who works in Tesco has seen me wearing it nearly every day this week as I go in to buy wine or Mini Eggs. We're pals though, so I don't think he minds. We bonded over him complimenting my glasses one time.

OUTFIT | #211

jacket: Levi's; jumper: unknown - gift; skirt: Topshop; shoes: Nike Blazers

I've wanted to find a good oversized denim jacket for a while now. It was top of my 'to buy' list. I popped to Westfield with my mum and sister last week while I was home and found this one in Urban Outfitters. They wanted an absurd £55 for it but I had a gift card and, after student discount, it only set me back around £20. A real steal. It's super soft denim too and I've been throwing it on most days since I got it. I can't wait to wear it this summer on chilly evenings outside.

This turned out to be a very blue outfit. That wasn't quite my intention but I like how it pulled together with the red lip. I popped out for coffee and lunch with my family so I wanted to be comfortable. I've been wearing my Blazers to death lately. I love that they're such a pale pastel blue, it adds a really nice element to my usual dark outfits. My only fear is inevitably getting them really grubby, must invest in some suede protectant.

TRAVEL | A Few Days at Home

As promised, I took a bunch of pictures while I was home last week so I could make a lifestyle post and show you all what I got up to. I haven't done that in ages, it felt nice to capture everything that was happening. I used to take my camera everywhere with me and recently I've been out of the habit. The camera on my iPhone doesn't work anymore (counting down the months until I can upgrade and replace it...) so I don't take many snaps of everyday life anymore. Definitely something I should try and make more of an effort to do.

cashed in my Tesco points for a cheeky evening at Pizza Express

trying this out on my sister's hair

tea and cake in the M&S café is a must on days out with mum

a trip to the coast for a walk and some chips

spent my last evening at home enjoying a beer by the sea

OUTFIT | #210

coat: H&M; top, skirt: Topshop; shoes: Nike Blazers; bag: Dooney & Bourke

I just got back from a short trip home to see my family over Easter. I had a really nice time, ate a lot of food, lazed about a lot, the usual. I also talked my sister into taking a few outfit snaps of me, ta sis. I sometimes wish I had a pal who'd take my outfit pictures for me while we're out and about, it would be a lot more interesting than just taking them in my bedroom all the time. Maybe in the future I'll find someone I can talk into it from time to time. 

I packed pretty light to go home. We went for dinner a few times and had a couple of day trips so I wanted some nice, but comfy, clothes. Essentially, I lived in this black pleated skirt from Topshop. You've all seen it a million times before. Here's a better picture of it. I ended up taking my camera along with me most places, expect some upcoming posts of fun days out, so I had to borrow my sister's Dooney & Bourke handbag that I've always secretly envied anyway.

OUTFIT | #209

jumper: H&M; top: Primark; shorts, boots: Topshop

Whenever I watch an '80s film, I always get the urge to pull out these shorts. I watched Some Kind of Wonderful recently (One of my favourite John Hughes films and seriously underrated - definitely go watch it. The soundtrack is great) and couldn't hold back the urge to wear these immediately after. They make me feel like a young Molly Ringwald, which is all I could ever ask for really. Fun fact: Molly was my original inspiration to dye my hair red. I've always desperately wanted to be a natural redhead.

I'm having a real 'Dear god, my roots look awful' moment looking at these pictures. I popped home this weekend and got my sister to redye my hair, never fear. I do try and keep the colour from looking dull by mixing semi-permanent dye with my conditioner but when the roots are showing, sometimes it just can't be helped. I should really do a hair care post at some point to update you on what I'm using. I'll put it on my to-do list.

OUTFIT | #208

jumper: Zara; skirt: H&M; shoes: Nike Blazers; necklace: Topshop

My preference for trainers continues. These baby blue Blazers were a Christmas present that I've been getting tons of wear out of it now it's spring. I still desperately want a pair of leather high top Blazers but, generally speaking, I'm more a fan of the low tops. They're so cute and comfortable to boot. I feel like they're fairly festive too. Pale blue is an Easter colour, right? So seasonally appropriate.

I'm stuck in a rut again. I keep looking into my wardrobe and doing that thing where I dislike all my clothes and want to start over. I feel like I've felt like this for a while. To try and overcome this a bit, I've been trying to wear some of the more exciting pieces in my wardrobe. Like this (faux) leather skirt. I used to wear this in the daytime without a second thought but recently I've become dull in my old age and resigned it to the 'nighttime only' section of my wardrobe. I decided to forgo that for this outfit and threw a big jumper over it and headed to the library. Baby steps. Hopefully getting out of my comfort zone helps me overcome this uninspired patch I'm in.

RECENT FAVOURITES | April 2014

It's been quite some time since my last Recent Favourites post. Not because I haven't been really enjoying anything of late, probably quite the opposite. I've been playing with the products I use a bit more recently and trying out new things. I don't like to announce I love something until I've really given it a proper trial. It's all well and good to say you think something's fantastic the first few times you use it, but I think the real test of whether you really like something is if you continue to use it for a sustained period of time. These few products are some that I really have stuck to and enjoyed lately.

SCHWARZKOPF GOT2B BEACH MATT TEXTURISING SALT SPRAY

Since I cut my hair shorter, I've been trying to play with it a bit more. Short hair is so much less hassle and a lot more versatile, I've discovered. One product I love and always use is this sea salt spray. It adds a bit of texture and helps my curls stay in place longer. I spray it liberally on wet hair after applying my serums and then scrunch for a while to create nice bouncy curls. A spritz on limp third day hair helps revive it too.

SOAP & GLORY LOVE AT FIRST BLUSH

I've always been more of a matte blush fan, preferring to apply highlighter over the top if I want a bit of luminosity. However I love the colour of this blush and the natural sheen it gives. Highlighter can sometimes look a bit over the top in the day time while this gives a lovely colour and glow without being too much. It's fairly sheer so you can choose between really building it up or using it with a lighter hand for a subtle highlight over another blush.

REVLON NEARLY NAKED FOUNDATION SPF 20

Foundation was never something I wore daily until recently. I have good skin, thank you genetics, and have never suffered from acne but I am prone to redness in patches. Also, while I'm not old by any means, I'm nearly 22 now and I do have discoloured patches from the odd former blemish. This foundation provides very light coverage, which is all I need, but evens out my skintone nicely without making me look too matte. I have very dry skin and this has a slightly dewy finish that I really enjoy.

STILA STAY ALL DAY LIQUID LIPSTICK IN 'BESO'

A friend gave me this lipstick after she got it as a sample and didn't like the colour on her. The colour is a beautiful striking, matte red and quickly became one of my favourite reds in my collection. I'd never tried a liquid lipstick before but this goes on like a lipgloss with doe-foot applicator and then dries to a matte, long-wearing finish. I can eat my lunch and go for hours without this budging or feeling drying. It's a fantastic product for anyone on the go, I really want to try some other colours in this line now.

OUTFIT | #207

top: Topshop; skirt: American Apparel; shoes: Dr Martens

This post commemorates the first time I was brave enough to wear my new DMs out of the house for a sustained period of time. Honestly, they're so much less painful than my other pair. They rub a tiny bit but generally they're pretty comfortable to wear. I've had my boots for nearly 5 years yet this pair of shoes, barely a month old, are already way easier to wear. It makes no sense. But they're super cute.

I wasn't sure if I'd get a bunch of wear out of brown shoes at first but I think I can make it work. An easy go-to option is definitely this camel coloured AA skirt that I love, since it looks great with black anyway. Add the shoes and you're golden. They're a nice shade of brown that looks kind of faded/worn though, which helps. One of these days I'll get over my fear of brown, I swear. One pair of shoes at a time.

OUTFIT | #206

top: Primark; skirt, boots: Topshop

I unearthed this Primark turtleneck the other day during a clear out. I forgot that I even owned it so that was a nice surprise. It's cropped and comfy and pretty fun. It's kind of a shame I only just found it since I could have got a lot of wear out of it over the winter. But it will keep for another year, I suppose.

It's Easter break and I'm going away a lot, to a conference and to see family. Which means lots of packing and travelling, hence how I found this top while figuring out what to bring with me. Hopefully I can attempt to take some pictures of what I get up to so I can make a few lifestyle posts for you all. They're always a nice change of pace and take the pressure off me to think of interesting new outfits all the time.

OUTFIT | #205

top: River Island; skirt: H&M; shoes: Converse; watch: Casio

It's been another week of deadlines and spending a lot of time in the library. My last ever as an undergraduate. I have one more final essay to submit in May and then my degree is officially over. No more seminars. That's it. Part of me is terrified, part of me is also kind of oddly looking forward to it? It's been an odd month of thinking about my future and being in my twenties and in a way, I feel ready to move on and start the next phase of my life. Which is good. Because I thought you'd have to drag me away from uni kicking and screaming before I gave it up. 

This is such a bog standard, super comfy outfit. In fact, I almost always wear this top on my comfort clothes days. It's massive and soft and flowy and perfect, basically. I've also been really into my Converse lately, especially my white pair with the weather picking up. I am terrible at dressing myself for warmer weather and shopping for summer clothes is a nightmare because I hate colour, but I'm getting there. Hopefully the white shoes help.

OUTFIT | #204

dress: Zara; shoes: Topshop

It took me an age to figure out what to wear to my spring ball. I considered a lot of options, including buying a brand new dress that I almost certainly can't afford right now, before remembering that I owned this perfectly good black dress. I got it for a ridiculous £5 in the Zara sale years ago and it's saved me on several formal occasions. Not necessarily very 'spring' appropriate but I loathe spring and summer clothes anyway. Floral prints and pastels make me cringe. Can somewhere please tell black clothes all year round?

The shoes are a new purchase. Sort of. I got them in the January sales but I haven't worn them before. You may recall them from a past wishlist post. The day I found them in my local Topshop reduced to £20 was a happy day indeed. I don't own any other stilettos so they're slightly terrifying, even for a well-seasoned wearer of high heels like myself. Please pray that I don't break my neck gallivanting around in these all nights. I may opt for the sensible option and pack some emergency flats, just in case.

OUTFIT | #203

top: H&M; jeans; boots: Topshop

This is one of those ridiculously easy to pull on in a hurry outfits that I wear far too often. I do love an outfit that is incredibly comfortable for long days in the library. I have far too much pride to wear my sweatpants anywhere other than on late-night Tesco runs. 

This outfit does, however, need a jacket or something. I've felt like that about a lot of my outfits of late. I think I need to invest in some jackets or cardigans because while I own more jumpers than any one girl needs, I don't have many options in the way of jackets or cardigans. And I don't always want to cover up my shirts with jumpers. Sometimes I feel like I've wasted a perfectly good shirt by throwing a jumper over it all day. Like when you wear a great outfit but don't go anywhere. Please tell me you know what I mean. And also point me in the direction of some great jackets or cardigans. Please and thank you.