I have been lusting after this dress ever since I saw it on Megan's instagram, actually I lust after pretty much everything she wears (major girl crush) but I didn't want to splash out for it full price. The other day, when I was browsing ASOS for anything crochet, I noticed it was in the sale, and in my size, so I put it straight in my basket and it came the next day (sorry mum).
Honestly, when I first tried it on, I wasn't sure whether or not I liked it or if it suited me. Do you ever try something on plain faced, and then as soon as you put a bit of makeup on it looks about ten times better? Well, that definitely happened with this dress, some black eyeliner, a choker (of course), trainers and a leather jacket, I was good to go.
I wore this dress yesterday when I went to Bridlington with my friends, and it's fair to say we all got a little bit sun burnt, but it was worth it. I just paired it with my trusty black Adidas trainers - I would've gone with my converse but I was in a rush and couldn't find them. I did throw my black denim jacket in the boot of the car, but never had need of it. The bag I used is a very old one from H&M that I've had for years and is a bit battered, but it just goes so perfectly with anything and I haven't found an alternative that's nearly as good.
My sunglasses are from RayBan and are my new babies, I will probably do a blog post solely dedicated to them as I love them so much. (Before you mention it Dad, I will do the drive - stop nagging!)
We had so much fun in Bridlington; chilling on the beach; going paddling in the sea then running away when the waves came too high; exploring the arcades and attempting one too many times to win a Marvel cuddly toy, but failing. It's so nice to hang out with friends, and just forget about everything else, and going back to your childhood in a way. We were having a discussion about how much of a shame it is that places like Bridlington, and other beach towns on the east coast, are becoming a bit dishevelled, when 25 or so years ago, they would have been peak holiday destinations. Personally, on a day like this, there's no better place to be, and with no better company.
Cheers to my sis, and Jonny, for being my photographers for the day x
Long time no blog. So I started writing this at 1am on Friday morning on Notes on my iPhone because I couldn't sleep, and knew I wouldn't be able to until I put pen to paper, so to speak. I wasn't sure whether or not to put this into a new blog post, but here goes nothing!
I haven't blogged in quite a while, partly because I've been lacking a bit of inspiration and because I'm not exactly sure what direction I want this little corner of the internet to go in, and partly because I've just lacked motivation, which is something I've felt in other parts of my life as well. Quite often this summer, with not being at university and living back home, I've been feeling like I'm just stagnating and I think a lot of that was down to not having any goals or not having anything I particularly wanted to achieve. I have had to deal with some problems *read: boy problems* which were definitely of my own making in many respects, and I've since realised that I can't rely on other people to make me happy and to assuage this feeling of unfulfillment.
I saw a quote from Buddha recently, I can't remember the specifics, but the idea of it was that everyone can learn something from their mistakes and bad experiences, rather than play the victim; that life is a great teacher. I've definitely had my fair share of rough times, and although I'd like to think I haven't played the victim (I am guilty of throwing the odd pity party now and then), I don't think I've made the best of it, or taken away the lessons that I should have - until now.
This has all stemmed from my new found love of the gym, something I never thought I would be passionate about - I never thought I would be one of those people who misses working out when they skip a session. Since becoming more serious about my work outs, I now know where I want to be in terms of fitness levels and appearance, and I know what to do in order to achieve it, and that feels awesome. I think the idea of putting hard work in, and getting visible, tangible results really appeals to me, which it is something to can actually apply to a lot of different things. But the reason why it was exercise that made me feel this sense of purpose comes down to one thing: self-love.
When people say things like that someone "loves themselves" it is usually said with negative connotations, but that shouldn't be the case. I am a big believer that loving yourself, and being happy in your own skin, and with the person you are is a big step towards being happy, plain and simple. Especially because my generation and younger generations face so many unrealistic expectations, on how to look, how to behave, how to feel - all of which are unattainable. Which is why i think it's important, especially when you're younger, to take a step back, be selfish, and just focus on yourself for a while, because you can afford to and there is nothing wrong with that. I'm going to the gym regularly and focusing on getting myself to a point where I'm happy with my body, not because I'm trying to impress anyone, or because I'm vain, but simply because I want to. And if going to the gym is not your cup of tea, that's totally fine as well, just do what you want to do and what makes you happy. Having a great support network of friends and family is so important and should definitely not be taken for granted, but often we feel pressure to please other people over ourselves so we don't disappoint them, but doesn't it feel worse when we disappoint ourselves? I know I have done many times. We are all human and we all make mistakes, but the important thing is to learn form them and to constantly try to grow and develop as a person, and to actually discover what kind of person you want to be. If you feel stuck in a rut, like I did and like everyone does from time to time, the only person that can get you out of it is yourself, so be that person - be yourself.
I think I'm going to wind this down before I ramble on too much, but congrats if you've made it this far - thanks for sticking with it. Feel free to share and comment, I'd really love to know what you guys think of this new kind of blog post. I think the overriding message of this is one of positivity so I'll leave you with the very wise words of Justin Bieber, love yourself.
here's a pic of me being selfish and taking time out on holiday recently
I feel like I haven't done an outfit post in ages, so here goes nothing! This has been my go-to outfit recently for when the weather is reasonably nice, but not too nice. The trousers are quite thin but not the most comfortable when things start to get a bit hot and bothered. I went to a family get together the other week, which was loads of fun, and quickly got my sister to take some pictures before we left.
I have had these trousers for ages, and they are one of my favourite pieces. They're super easy to style, you can just chuck on a black or white vest and walk out the door. They are also really versatile and can be dressed up, with heels, or worn more casually like I did. I decided to style them with a white vest, black cowboy-style boots, and a trusty leather jacket.
The pictures don't really do this outfit justice. This is definitely going to be a staple of mine over summer. What are your go-to pieces this time of year?
So we've come to the end of May, which means the start of summer, if we are so lucky. It also means that it's May Favourites time.
Beauty
Beauty-wise I've been loving a couple of things, some old and some new. One of the new products that has made it's way to my favourites is this Skin Wow illuminating 3-in-1 product by Seventeen. I personally use this under my foundation as an illuminating primer, but you can mix it in with your base or use it as a highlighter on the high points of your face. Although this looks quite glittery and scary when you swatch it, once you put your foundation over the top it just adds a really nice, natural glow, which I have been loving.
I recently used this Clinique Chubby Stick in Ample Amber in a make-up look, which you can check out here, so I won't go on too much about it. I just really love the shade and think it really compliments my eye colour, and looks good with a tan as well!
My sister got me this Bobbi Brown palette for Christmas a few years ago, and it really is stunning, especially the glitter shades. But this month I've been using it for another purpose. I use the two brown shades to define my eyebrows, as it adds a natural but neat finish.
This nail varnish is an old favourite of mine, but I recently been reaching for it more and more often. My nails are slightly chipped in this picture, but I've had it on for a good 5 or so days. This is the Maybelline Super Stay in the shade 'Golden Brown'. I don't know if I would say this lives up to it's 7 day claim, but it does do very well in the longevity department, and I would definitely recommend it.
Homeware
I have a few favourites from this category. The first being this room scent from Marks and Spencers. As soon as I smelt it, it had to be mine. They do a whole collection in the scent, Neroli Lime and Basil, including oil diffusers and candles, but I went for the Room Spray as it was only £5. Admittedly, I only got this a few days ago, but as I'm already obsessed with it I thought I would include it. I know that Jo Malone are releasing a similar fragrance in September, which will be very tempting indeed.
Another thing I have been loving is having fresh flowers in my room. I bought this jar from Joy a little while ago, and I just think it adds a really nice edge.
Fashion
I have been getting into going to the gym recently, probably to destress from exams and other stuff, and I do like to look good whilst doing my work out. If you guys want to see a full post dedicated to what I wear or my work out routine then do let me know! But to represent all of this, I thought I would include these Nike Juvenate trainers, which I got for just £15 from the Nike store at York Designer Outlet - such a bargain.
Other
Music-wise, I've been loving the song Blame by Denai Moore, I would really recommend checking her out, this song has been on repeat ever since it popped up on my Discover Weekly.
I also watched the show Master of None on Netflix, and really enjoyed it. It's just one of those shows that's easy to watch, and is really funny as well. On the opposite end of the scale, I've been loving The Killing. I'm only on Season 1, but I don't know why I've never watched it before, as it's right up my street - I love a good crime-thriller.
I can’t believe it’s the end of April already – a slightly
terrifying thought as I now have less than a month of university left! It’s
hard to condense all the things I’ve been loving this month into one post, but
I’m gonna do my best!
Beauty
First I’ll start with the beauty items that have not left my
face or my handbag for the past 30 days. I recently bought the Estée Lauder
Perfectionist foundation, I’d say in the past few weeks, but I’ve had a sample
since the beginning of April – they give really generous sample sizes! This
foundation is just lovely – super dewy, really nice medium coverage. I suffer
with dry skin and, although this foundation doesn’t hide it completely, my skin
doesn’t feel uncomfortable at all throughout the day – it’s just an all-round
great product.
The second make-up product I haven’t stopped using since I
got it is the Makeup Revolution Fortune Favours the Brave palette – created and
designed by British Beauty Blogger Jane Cunningham! This palette is simply
stunning – I could stare at it all day, I wouldn’t, but I could. Admittedly
some of the eyeshadows don’t have a great colour pay-off, but for the under £10
price tag, you can’t really complain. On a day-to-day basis I like to use the
shades Buffer and Drama Queen to define my crease, and just sweep Latte all
over the lid, but with this palette, the possibilities really are endless.
Along the same lines as the foundation, I’ve loved having
very dewy and fresh-looking make-up throughout the whole of April, and am a massive fan of highlighter. My highlighter
of choice this month, and of all time, is the Glow highlighter by Topshop in
the shade Polished, which is a lovely champagne colour with a bit of a pink iridescence
to it. I’m surprised I haven’t heard more people rave about this, it’s a great
dupe for MAC’s strobe cream.
My next favourite isn’t actually on my face in the picture above,
but if you read my last blog post, you’ll have seen MAC’s Whirl make an appearance,
if you haven’t, then you should! This is a very recent favourite of mine but,
dare I say it, it’s becoming a Holy Grail item. It’s a perfect taupy brown, and doesn’t feel too drying or chalky on the
lips, like some MAC lipsticks tend to do – I am in love. Don’t be surprised if
it makes it into next month’s favourites as well.
Skincare
As for skincare, I never really change things up that much,
but I’ve had an old favourite making its way back into my routine this month,
and that is the Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm. I actually bought this a while ago
but fell out of love with it and gave it to my sister. When I was at her flat
recently, I realised she wasn’t using it, and my lips have been super dry
lately, so I thought I’d steal it back. It is a really hydrating, intense balm
with quite a thick formula, and has quite a luxurious feel to it, so I usually
use this quite liberally at night time, then just apply a thin layer throughout
the day as and when I need it and it seems to do the trick!
Fashion
Moving on to a fashion favourite of mine, this hoody from
Topshop – oh my god this is so fluffy inside, it’s unbelievable. The downside
is that it tends to get fluff on everything else, but I can deal with it. This
hoody is perfect for days when you want to just chill out, so I usually pair it
with leggings or skinny jeans. The colour is a super nice faded pink which I just
find really flattering, and it falls really nicely too. I’m quite petite so
sometimes hoodies can drown me or look too boxy, but this does neither,
definitely a new wardrobe staple.
Everything else
Music-wise I’ve rekindled my love for Jamie XX’s album ‘In
Colour’, it’s just so chilled, and I really like the vibe of this album. I have
a slight addiction to Netflix, definitely an unhealthy one, and one show that I
would totally recommend is a Netflix Original called ‘Love’. I don’t want to
give any spoilers, but it is really awesome, also features some darn good
music. It’s also perfect to binge on, but you didn’t hear that from me. I
went to see Captain America: Civil War last week, it was insanely good, and definitely
makes the cut as well. Let me know what your April Favourites were down in the
comments.
Today I've got an outfit post for you all but I thought, before we get to the good stuff, I'd just introduce myself a little. I'm Amy, I'm 19 and I'm studying French and German at the University of Leeds. I've always been interested in fashion and beauty and read blogs daily, so I thought it was time to create my own little space for my ramblings. So let's get right into it.
I went to The Alchemist last night with some friends for some nice chilled drinks, and badgered them on the way into taking some outfit photos for me!
I am completely in love with this outfit. I'm one of those people that as soon as they buy a certain piece, begins to think of how I want to style it. As soon as I bought this dress, I knew I wanted a long-line grey mac to pair with it, and luckily I found one - and it was such a bargain. I'll try and leave all the links below.
