OUTFIT | #238

shirt, jeans: Topshop; shoes: Converse; watch: Casio

I worked 12 days straight recently and when I finally got a day off, I wanted to wear clothes as far removed from from workwear as possible. I have risked jeans a few times at the office - always very black so they could be mistaken for tight trousers unless inspected closely. But mom jeans are probably pushing it. I was running errands all day in town, on an unseasonably warm day, and they seemed like the perfect day off option. The Topshop variety are incredibly soft and comfortable; sometimes I wear them around the house in lieu of joggers.

This outfit was inspired by a particularly well-dressed girl I saw walking around the campus I work on the other day. She wore an oversized plain white shirt (sadly I don't own one of these, which seems like a sartorial oversight if ever I had one) with baggy mom jeans and loafers. My loafers aren't quite comfortable enough for a day of running around so this is more loosely inspired by her. I love seeing well-dressed women and making a mental note of what they're wearing for later inspiration. People's personal style, when they're just wandering about living their lives, is my favourite place to get some wardrobe inspiration.

RECENT FAVOURITES | September 2015

I've been moved into my new place for a month now and things are settling down. My things aren't all packed in boxes anymore and I'm pretty much back into my normal routines. Including a few new introductions that I've picked up along the way and really enjoyed. I'm still putting my room's decor together and I bought 2 flowering cacti at a plant sale on campus this week. They were super cheap and sit on my windowsill now. I've never had plants before but I figured even a total beginner can't kill a cactus, right?

NO7 BEAUTIFUL SKIN CLEANSING BALM

I mentioned this product in my recent post about cleansers for dry skin. So far this is my favourite because it's so simple to use and feels lovely to apply. I've been really enjoying using it every evening before bed. It leaves my skin feeling super clean but not dry and stripped.

BOURJOIS ROUGE EDITION VELVET IN 'NUDE-IST'

Another post, yet another rave about these lipsticks. This shade is my new favourite of the lot, I wear it to work nearly every day. Working in an office doesn't mean I've abandoned the brights but this is somewhat more muted for days when I prefer to opt for a less bold look.

BENEFIT HERVANA BLUSH

Despite own more blush than any one person needs, I'd never owned a Benefit boxed blush before this one. I swirl all the colours together on my blush and it gives a long-lasting cool-toned plummy finish that I'm really enjoying as Autumn draws in.

OUTFIT | #237

jumper: H&M; skirt: Missguided; shoes: Dr Martens; watch: Casio

The living room is one of the only parts of my new house that is almost completely decorated. The fireplace is my absolute favourite part of the room so I decided to take my outfit pictures there today for a change of scenery. Hopefully I can stop taunting soon and actually make some posts about home decor as I've been promising for a while. My time at my summer office job is drawing to a close just as it gets cool enough to wear knitwear to work. I must admit I'm pretty disappointed. With the threat of imminent unemployment looming, I've been trying to make the most of office wear before days spent in my pajamas watching daytime TV in between job applications become the norm.

Tights really are my favourite thing about the colder months. Mostly because suddenly any skirt becomes appropriate for any occasion. All the skirts I'd had to ignore over the summer while I worked in an office can now make a reappearance. My interest in putting interesting outfits together wanes to almost nothing over the summer but now it's cold again, I should get some of my inspiration back. Hopefully. Waking up on pulling on any old thing becomes pretty dull after a while.

OUTFIT | #236

t-shirt: Zara; trousers: H&M; loafers: Bass; watch: Casio

Over the past month, I've learnt that moving into an unfurnished house is a lot more work than moving into a student place. My house is slowly coming together. We're picking up furniture in dribs and drabs and there's only the last few things to sort out now. My room is no longer filled with half-unpacked boxes so taking pictures is becoming less of an endeavour. Although taking pictures of my work outfits is another difficulty in itself.

I basically wear the same few outfits day in, day out. And when I get in after work, all I want to do is throw on my joggers and do nothing all night. My sister leant me these trousers and I'm tempted not to give them back. They fit perfectly and make it look like I made a lot more effort than I actually did. I pair them with a plain shirt most days and my Bass loafers, that are finally worn in enough to slouch around the office in. 

LIPSTICK | Rouge Edition Additions

Bourjois Rouge Velvet Edition lipsticks in Frambourjoise, Peach Club, Pink Pong & Nude-ist

You may remember me singing the praises of Bourjois' Rouge Velvet Edition lipsticks very, very recently. I absolutely love this lipstick formula and I knew it wouldn't be long before I bought more. I really couldn't help myself. I want all the shades. And, thanks to some birthday presents and payday, I'm nearly there now. My collection now stands at 6, out of I believe 8 current shades. (I'm secretly hoping they bring out more for winter. I know, I'm absurd. But I love them.)

Now in my possession are 4 lovely new shades that I've been trying out and adoring of late. They are: Frambourjoise - a warm berry shade, Peach Club - a peach that errs on the edge of coral, Pink Pong - a bold, almost neon pink, and Nude-ist (which is, surprisingly, my favourite of the lot) - a perfect matte 'my lips but better' colour. I wear one of these nearly every day. There's always one in my make up bag. They're just so long-wearing, and will of course be featuring in the post I'm planning very soon comparing my 'kissproof' lipsticks/stains.

OUTFIT | #235

This weekend my housemate, Zoe (who also has a blog: check it out), and I went to town to do some furniture shopping for our house. We ended up snapping up a fab white sofa and arm chair in British Heart Foundation and went for lunch at Strangers Coffee House to celebrate. I'd never been to Strangers before but went on recommendation from a friend. If you're in Norwich - definitely check it out. I have it on good authority that they have fab coffee. Sadly, I don't drink it myself anymore but the selection of tea is pretty exemplary too for those of us who are sensitive to caffeine.

jumper: Gap; jeans: Topshop; shoes: Nike; bag: Zara; necklace: mynamenecklace.com

Perks of having a blogger for a housemate: A live-in photographer and mutual understanding that all days out must be documented for blogging purposes. Since it's September now, the weather is a little chillier and I couldn't be happier. I love everything about dressing for colder weather. Dark lipstick, darker clothes, constant opportunities to layer. It's my absolute favourite. I've been looking longingly at all my jumpers and itching to wear them all again. 

My mum gave me this old Gap turtleneck jumper of hers when I was last home. I remember her wearing it tons when I was a kid and when I unearthed it in a pile of old clothes, I decided to bring it back. In a former life, it was black but now it is well-worn and incredibly comfortable. I've been wearing it non-stop and can't see myself stopping any time soon now sweater weather is drawing in. 

SKINCARE | Cleansing Dry Skin

If you've ever seen my skincare routine post, you'll know I've always been somewhat scared of cleansers. I honestly never used them until recently. I am lucky in having very well-behaved skin, in terms of break outs, so it never really made a difference if I was cleansing it or not. Cleansers have always left my dry, sensitive skin feeling tight and irritated in the past so it just didn't seem worth it to me. It was only in the past few months, as I decided with my mid-twenties were nearing I probably needed to take better care of my skin, that I decided to give them a go again. Apparently the world of cleansers has changed since my last foray into it and things are looking up for people with dry skin. In a surprising turn of events, I've managed to find two cleansers that I really rather enjoy.

GARNIER NOURISHING CLEANSING OIL

This product is, unfortunately, not available in the UK market. I picked it up when I was in the US this summer and my skin was acting up. I'd never even heard of cleansing oils but I'll definitely try some others once I've finished this one. I love using oils to moisturise my skin so I suppose it makes sense that using them to cleanse dry skin works pretty well too. I massage one pump onto my skin and then rinse it off with warm water and it leaves my skin feeling incredibly smooth and soft. 

NO7 BEAUTIFUL SKIN CLEANSING BALM

Another more moisturising cleanser, I've been interested in cleansing balms for a while. It's less messy than an oil, definitely more travel friendly, but I use it in a pretty similar way. Massage it into the skin (which feels lovely, like a thick moisturiser) and wipe it off with a damp flannel or cloth. I get zero irritation or dryness using either of these cleansers, but this one in particular leaves my skin feeling almost soft enough to skip moisturising afterwards.

DAYS OUT | 22 in London

Despite the camera issues mentioned in my previous post, I did manage to get a few snaps from my 22nd birthday weekend celebrations in London. Only from the first morning but I suppose it's better than nothing. I love London and couldn't think of anywhere else I would want to spend my birthday. My family came with me, leaving sleepy Suffolk for a few days to indulge me in showing them around my favourite sights of the city. We did a whole bunch of fun stuff, but, lacking photographic evidence, you'll just have to use your imagination for most. I did manage to get a few pictures in the V&A though; we popped in to peruse a few exhibits and then caught lunch at Comptoir Libanais. I've wanted to go there for ages and it did not disappoint. I'm sure I'll be back and make sure to properly document the experience another time.